Tag Archives: worldly

Stand Longer Than a Minute

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Philippians 1:27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NASB

 

So how goes the one minute with God?  I pray you are discovering just how much one simple minute can change your whole day and when you get off-track another minute can put you back on course.  I want to take this minute one step further in regards to our place in the world.  Things are coming quickly at us on a daily basis and sometimes it is so much easier to just try to please the world because it makes others happy.  Well I don’t know about you, but in the end it is me and God on judgement day and no one else will be there to witness it. No one will be there to defend or slander me so why not live a life for the sake of Jesus and pleasing to God?

I understand people get offended.  I know the morality of the world just gets worse and worse everyday, but we can stand against that for our God gives us the strength to push through it.  Are you pleasing man or God?  Are you  more interested in making man happy than God and losing yourself in the process?  Does drinking really make you fit in better?  Does using bad language help you “connect” better with the group you are in? Does destroying your body with chemicals really help you move up in the world because it makes you cool?  These are all devices of Satan and if we do not see it soon, we will be come overcome by the world.   I am not saying we need to become loners, but we need to refrain from the beckoning of the world before we get too caught up in it and lose focus on what we were actually created for.

One minute standing for the things of God can make a total change in the atmosphere you are in.  Now, whether or not the others agree at the time, you are still planting a seed in their thought process.  Maybe they will think twice about where they are going in life.  We are designed to be weird, different, awkward, uncool….. nothing like the world.  We need to live a life according to the will of God, not the meanderings of the world.  We are to set ourselves apart from the things of the world and yet love those who are here.  We are all individuals and make our own choices, however, what guidelines are you choosing to use?  Ones that secure a relationship with your Creator or ones which lead you further away from His promises and provisions?

I could take your hand right now and pull you into what I think are the things of God, but you would not be going on your own free will, you would be following me whether you felt I was in the right or not.  Be who you are meant to be in Christ.  He is calling you away from the world.  He stands next to His Father and prays for us every minute of the day!  If only we could return the favor.  Take a minute with yourself and discuss the truth, are you really a follower of Jesus?  Are you setting yourself apart from the world or are you just playing the part the world needs to see?  God sees it all and I fail daily and fall short of His glory, yet I move forward because I know it is a matter of getting on my knees and asking for forgiveness and getting up again to walk in His goodness with the full intent of changing that part of me which is not pleasing to God.

A part of me feels like I need to apologize for how harsh this blog is today, yet the God part of me knows the truth needs to be spoken.  Doubting God is hugely responsible for the way the world thinks today.  Yes, sometimes God says no because He knows what will harm you and usually there is something greater He has planned for you.  The world is easily offended these days, yet so I am I as I try to defend God.  I know I need not defend God, but I do know I need to stand up for what is right in His sight.  I do not have to agree with the world or allow parts of it determine where I stand with God.  If I find myself offending someone then I know they need God in their lives and will need to pray they soon seek God in their life.

Wouldn’t you rather stand for the things of God and hear Him whisper in your ear, “Well done”, than to get to the gates and hear Him say, “Depart for Me!”  This world creates such a battlefield sometimes it is hard to keep what is truly right into perspective, yet we just need to stand our ground and let God have our backs.  He will be justified in the end and those who are choosing to live a life without God or a double life will reap what they   sow.  Believing in God or not the rules of the Bible stand for everyone, believers and non.  Will you take one minute to stand for God today? Put on your full armor and go forward with the truth, trust me there is a whole army waiting for us to join them!

Post it as your Facebook Status today, even if it for just one minute:  I am Standing for the Things of God, Are you? If so, repost!

 

Spoiled Princess

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Philippians 4:6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ( definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

How many times have we read that verse and then just shrugged it off feeling like God was talking to someone else?  Why do we find ourselves in such deep sorrow that we cannot acknowledge that God really does love us and He wants to bless us?  How is it possible we can believe Jesus died on the cross for us, yet we don’t ask for anything in faith that we really want because we feel undeserving of it?  When I was in the middle of my marriage and we were fighting to keep our heads above water I was looking at the ground and seeing the disaster I was in when I should have been looking to heaven for help!

Put your hand in front of your face about an arms length away.  What do you see?  Your hand!  If you want to see what is on the other side you have to move it away, but it is still there.  If you want to look to either side you have to bend your body in uncomfortable positions to see around it.  Now let us imagine for a moment that your hand is your battle.  We cannot see through it.  Without moving it out of the way we can not go around it.  Because it is attached to you it goes before you where ever you travel.  Why would we want to live like that, always focusing on the pain right in front of us?  Constantly reminding us of what we have to face every day?

Okay, now if we take that hand away and join it with the other and offer them in surrender to  God, our gave is lifted upwards and our focus is taken off from our hands, our battle.  We now can focus on something else and begin to regain sight of what we really should be focused on, God’s provision.  When our eyes are free to gaze upon our loving Father, things become clear.  We suddenly can hear His voice.  We can begin to trust Him for the things we need in our lives.  God wants to step in and save us from our battle, but we have to be willing to give up the fight.  We have to finally get so desperate we just throw our hands into the air in total surrender, claiming no more, the battle as our own.

In the past few months I have been trying to figure out why I am so happy, even though to the outside world I should be going slightly insane.  People say I should divorce and start a new life with someone else.  Financially things are still not in perfect order and some say I should file for bankruptcy.  I am refusing to go down the worldly road when God has taken me by the hand and lead me a path of trust and blessing.  Why would I not listen to God and move in a direction I know He does not desire for me?  If we take things to God in prayer and make our requests known to Him, then and only then can He begin to move on our behalf!

I am choosing to stay near God and away from worldly desires and distractions.  I am focusing on becoming the vessel God needs me to be.  Sometimes He wants me to do crazy things, but I see the vision and press on for completion of the task and He just keeps blessing me!  I told my friend this morning I was going to buy one of those necklaces that says “Spoiled Princess” because that’s how I feel some times.  God loves me.  God loves you.  Anyone can receive the blessings they desire if they just lay down their lives and start renewing their RIGHT relationship with God.  Not just a superficial love, but a deep, trusting love that nothing can break through!  Start today to believe in that verse above, maybe reread the prayer of Jabez and start today working towards seeking God for all things in your life!