Proverbs 24:16
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
I'm wrapping up my series on the book "The Great Divide" today by Mike Guzzardo. I hope you've learned a lot through this series; I know I have. Ultimately, it should be your goal to let God completely own your life. I want you to wait until you're ready, if this isn't already a reality for you. The last thing God wants is for you to just do it because it's right. At least pray about it and ask God to align your heart with your mind. It's not about being able to give your life to God, rather, it's about whether or not your willing to commit to him.
Once you make that commitment, I promise that you'll experience God everyday. This means that you have decided to journey to the mountain top in order to experience God at his best. From this point forward, it is our responsibility to listen to God because if we're following him, he's leading us through his Word.
The bottom line is that God speaks to us all the time. It's just that some people hear him differently than others. Experiment for yourself and see how you can successfully hear God. Read the Bible, pray, listen after you pray, sing songs of praise, and listen to sermons. Be ready to listen because God is ready for you. He wants to share his will with you so that you can treasure the abundant life.
Finally, I want to say that so many times people go back to the camp instead of climbing the mountain because they feel that they are a failure. What they don't realize is that everyone fails from time to time. If you keep moving forward, God will let you see the face of victory. Additionally, once you cross the great divide, others will likely cross it as well when they notice how drastically it has changed your life!
"If we take time to listen, we will surely hear his voice." ~Mike Guzzardo
God, will you radically change us all. May we trust in your goodness, mercy, and love, each and every day.
A great way to end this three week long series to listen to "From The Inside Out" by Hillsong United!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Final Step Part I.
Mark 10:21
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
If you remember about two and a half weeks ago, I talked to you about climbing up a mountain being comparable to your relationship in Christ. Well, God is calling you to the peak of the mountain where you can reach the climatic spot of his abundance. It all comes down to whether you stay camped out or you climb. If you climb, you're choosing Jesus to be the Lord and guidance of everything in your life. You've probably asked him into your heart many years ago, but now it's time to do more: serve, love, and receive his precious treasure.
So many people make Jesus just a house guest. They say, "Jesus, I know you're there, but I'm still the ruler of the house so I'm going to make all the decisions and rules in my life." By doing this, however, you'll never experience God to the fullest extent possible. It is only completely evident when Christ owns your life!
The man in today's scripture approaches the Lord because he realized that something was missing in his life. He asks Jesus what that was, and that's when he was told that Christ should be the one and only Lord of all. This man was willing to surrender everything to God except for his riches. That one thing really kept him from experiencing the abundant life. After much thought, the young man ignored the suggestion and thought the sacrifice was too high of a cost. Later on in this chapter, the Bible says that he walked away filled with discontentment. That would have been the perfect chance to make a commitment to follow Christ! Even if you're still holding onto one thing in your life, I encourage you to give it up to God; it is the distinguishable difference between living in anguish and blessing.
Sure, we're not going to be perfect. What matters is whether or not we surrender to God in every area of our life. Even when you screw up, it's okay, just don't give up because you fail. Are you willing to give your life to Jesus or are you still suffering with control issues?
"Jesus is not looking for an invitation to your heart. He is looking for ownership of your heart." ~Mike Guzzardo
Here's a way to get into the spirit and maybe push some of you over "the great divide." Listen to "The Stand" by Hillsong United!
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
If you remember about two and a half weeks ago, I talked to you about climbing up a mountain being comparable to your relationship in Christ. Well, God is calling you to the peak of the mountain where you can reach the climatic spot of his abundance. It all comes down to whether you stay camped out or you climb. If you climb, you're choosing Jesus to be the Lord and guidance of everything in your life. You've probably asked him into your heart many years ago, but now it's time to do more: serve, love, and receive his precious treasure.
So many people make Jesus just a house guest. They say, "Jesus, I know you're there, but I'm still the ruler of the house so I'm going to make all the decisions and rules in my life." By doing this, however, you'll never experience God to the fullest extent possible. It is only completely evident when Christ owns your life!
The man in today's scripture approaches the Lord because he realized that something was missing in his life. He asks Jesus what that was, and that's when he was told that Christ should be the one and only Lord of all. This man was willing to surrender everything to God except for his riches. That one thing really kept him from experiencing the abundant life. After much thought, the young man ignored the suggestion and thought the sacrifice was too high of a cost. Later on in this chapter, the Bible says that he walked away filled with discontentment. That would have been the perfect chance to make a commitment to follow Christ! Even if you're still holding onto one thing in your life, I encourage you to give it up to God; it is the distinguishable difference between living in anguish and blessing.
Sure, we're not going to be perfect. What matters is whether or not we surrender to God in every area of our life. Even when you screw up, it's okay, just don't give up because you fail. Are you willing to give your life to Jesus or are you still suffering with control issues?
"Jesus is not looking for an invitation to your heart. He is looking for ownership of your heart." ~Mike Guzzardo
Here's a way to get into the spirit and maybe push some of you over "the great divide." Listen to "The Stand" by Hillsong United!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What it Takes to Surrender Part II.
1 Corinthians 2:10
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
God always wants us to live a better life in his name; he wants us to live an abundant life. We may not understand how something could possibly work, but we have to trust that we will be able to see it sooner than later from the same perspective as God. Mike Guzzardo said, "From the top of the mountain, the painful experiences of our lives become glowing testimonies of God's gracious guidance."
I know several months ago there was a long period of time where I was just praying, and not listening to God. It was only a one-way relationship. He was loving me, but I wasn't doing anything in return; I was just asking for this and that in my prayers and thanking God for the occasional blessing. God had been trying to get my attention for days. Then, one day, I opened my Bible and came to the scripture that I'm providing with you today. I slept soundly that night, until I heard "Tyler!" It was clearly the middle of the night and I had been woken up with a shake. I didn't have to check to see if anyone was up in the house. I knew it was God. I couldn't sleep. He started inundating my mind with this Bible verse from 1 Corinthians. After tossing and turning, I finally surrendered to God and obeyed his calling. I prayed for a couple minutes and then just stayed still and let him fill me with his presence listening for anything else he had to tell me. All in all, I realized that I needed to listen to God more.
Everyone experiences God in different ways. The point is that you have to listen to the Holy Spirit and surrender to the Lord. He will help you in every single situation. Your neighbor isn't going to hear the same thing from God that you did because we all need to be strengthened in specific aspects of our own life.
Realize that every time God speaks to you, it's a fork in the road. It's only when you surrender to God that you will clearly experience him in a fresh manner. It's time to follow God up the mountain. It's not always going to seem necessary. It's not always going to seem comfortable. However, it's the only way that you can truly experience all of God's awesome abundance!
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
God always wants us to live a better life in his name; he wants us to live an abundant life. We may not understand how something could possibly work, but we have to trust that we will be able to see it sooner than later from the same perspective as God. Mike Guzzardo said, "From the top of the mountain, the painful experiences of our lives become glowing testimonies of God's gracious guidance."
I know several months ago there was a long period of time where I was just praying, and not listening to God. It was only a one-way relationship. He was loving me, but I wasn't doing anything in return; I was just asking for this and that in my prayers and thanking God for the occasional blessing. God had been trying to get my attention for days. Then, one day, I opened my Bible and came to the scripture that I'm providing with you today. I slept soundly that night, until I heard "Tyler!" It was clearly the middle of the night and I had been woken up with a shake. I didn't have to check to see if anyone was up in the house. I knew it was God. I couldn't sleep. He started inundating my mind with this Bible verse from 1 Corinthians. After tossing and turning, I finally surrendered to God and obeyed his calling. I prayed for a couple minutes and then just stayed still and let him fill me with his presence listening for anything else he had to tell me. All in all, I realized that I needed to listen to God more.
Everyone experiences God in different ways. The point is that you have to listen to the Holy Spirit and surrender to the Lord. He will help you in every single situation. Your neighbor isn't going to hear the same thing from God that you did because we all need to be strengthened in specific aspects of our own life.
Realize that every time God speaks to you, it's a fork in the road. It's only when you surrender to God that you will clearly experience him in a fresh manner. It's time to follow God up the mountain. It's not always going to seem necessary. It's not always going to seem comfortable. However, it's the only way that you can truly experience all of God's awesome abundance!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
What it Takes to Surrender Part I.
Matthew 16:25
25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Decisions mean everything for us. Some may not appear to be harmful, but when we act they prove otherwise. Every step that we make, we must choose who we're going to follow: Jesus or Satan. We have to trust God and his guidance because in the end, we can fulfill his expectations and be at the receiving end of his promises. If you follow the enemy, be ready for some destruction.
We've all ignored God's orders at times. It only leads to a complete disaster. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of time to see God's work at hand, but he's always faithful and Satan is always a big liar.
We all have a thing or two that distracts us from engaging ourselves more with God and his Word. Usually, it's after we reach a new spiritual high; sometimes we almost become complacent. At first, the distractions seem minor, but the effects are magnified in our life. It may be a favorite computer game that you eventually spend several hours a day playing, and even longer on the weekend, when there seems to be more free time.
Chances are, if it gets too out of hand, God will talk to you about it. You may try to compromise with him and say you'll play this game for two hours a week, for example. However, sometimes it's necessary to remove it from our life all together. Thus, I recommend listening to him. Remember, he knows what's best for you. Once we give up on something, usually we find some other way to consume our time, unfortunately.
The best thing to do is to realize how God speaks to you about these issues and distractions. Maybe you'll notice a lack of peace in your life or a flash of your future. Either way, this will help you know when the Lord is asking something from you. Such distractions will rob you "of the better things God had in store..." as Mike Guzzardo stated. Believe me, God's plans for you are infinitely better than you or the enemy could ever dream.
Happy middle of the week and middle of the month!
25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Decisions mean everything for us. Some may not appear to be harmful, but when we act they prove otherwise. Every step that we make, we must choose who we're going to follow: Jesus or Satan. We have to trust God and his guidance because in the end, we can fulfill his expectations and be at the receiving end of his promises. If you follow the enemy, be ready for some destruction.
We've all ignored God's orders at times. It only leads to a complete disaster. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of time to see God's work at hand, but he's always faithful and Satan is always a big liar.
We all have a thing or two that distracts us from engaging ourselves more with God and his Word. Usually, it's after we reach a new spiritual high; sometimes we almost become complacent. At first, the distractions seem minor, but the effects are magnified in our life. It may be a favorite computer game that you eventually spend several hours a day playing, and even longer on the weekend, when there seems to be more free time.
Chances are, if it gets too out of hand, God will talk to you about it. You may try to compromise with him and say you'll play this game for two hours a week, for example. However, sometimes it's necessary to remove it from our life all together. Thus, I recommend listening to him. Remember, he knows what's best for you. Once we give up on something, usually we find some other way to consume our time, unfortunately.
The best thing to do is to realize how God speaks to you about these issues and distractions. Maybe you'll notice a lack of peace in your life or a flash of your future. Either way, this will help you know when the Lord is asking something from you. Such distractions will rob you "of the better things God had in store..." as Mike Guzzardo stated. Believe me, God's plans for you are infinitely better than you or the enemy could ever dream.
Happy middle of the week and middle of the month!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
God's Character Part II.
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
It is essential that we understand that God wants what's best for us. This will allow us to trust and obey him if we don't understand why. Mike Guzzardo provides a wonderful example in his book, "The Great Divide." Suppose that the president of the U.S. is eating at his favorite restaurant. The food is so good and that's the only thing that is on his mind. However, the Secret Service agents are concerned about his safety. They tell him that he has to re-locate now! What does the President have to do with his food? Forget about it and leave because he clearly trusts the intentions and orders of the Secret Service even when he has to be robbed from a perfect moment.
The only way we're ever going to continue to grow in leaps and bounds with God is if we develop a strong relationship with him that contains trust, and ultimately, surrender. When we trust, we obey; when we obey, we experience; and when we experience, we trust God. It's cycle that's continuous, but it all begins with our understanding of God's character.
Perhaps the enemy is still dwelling within you. Are you scared to obey God? Today's scripture tells us that because God's love is perfect, we don't have to fear our obedience toward God. After committed obedience, you'll be amazed because you will leave behind what you have to in order to follow the leadership of God. If you feel like God is making you do things you don't want to do, not only is Satan tricking you, but you don't know God!
As Christians, we have to make many sacrifices, but it's all worth it in the end because we can appreciate the treasure and beauty of God. This process is going to take some time. Some temptations we'll be able to dispose of quickly, while others are deeply embedded within us, so they'll take longer to filter out. You may wrestle with sin all your life, but you will see yourself change over time.
Remember, God is alive through his Word - the Bible. Read it to better understand God.
"Only when you see God as someone whose every instruction is intended to protect you will you consistently be able to walk away from temptation without question." ~Mike Guzzardo
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
It is essential that we understand that God wants what's best for us. This will allow us to trust and obey him if we don't understand why. Mike Guzzardo provides a wonderful example in his book, "The Great Divide." Suppose that the president of the U.S. is eating at his favorite restaurant. The food is so good and that's the only thing that is on his mind. However, the Secret Service agents are concerned about his safety. They tell him that he has to re-locate now! What does the President have to do with his food? Forget about it and leave because he clearly trusts the intentions and orders of the Secret Service even when he has to be robbed from a perfect moment.
The only way we're ever going to continue to grow in leaps and bounds with God is if we develop a strong relationship with him that contains trust, and ultimately, surrender. When we trust, we obey; when we obey, we experience; and when we experience, we trust God. It's cycle that's continuous, but it all begins with our understanding of God's character.
Perhaps the enemy is still dwelling within you. Are you scared to obey God? Today's scripture tells us that because God's love is perfect, we don't have to fear our obedience toward God. After committed obedience, you'll be amazed because you will leave behind what you have to in order to follow the leadership of God. If you feel like God is making you do things you don't want to do, not only is Satan tricking you, but you don't know God!
As Christians, we have to make many sacrifices, but it's all worth it in the end because we can appreciate the treasure and beauty of God. This process is going to take some time. Some temptations we'll be able to dispose of quickly, while others are deeply embedded within us, so they'll take longer to filter out. You may wrestle with sin all your life, but you will see yourself change over time.
Remember, God is alive through his Word - the Bible. Read it to better understand God.
"Only when you see God as someone whose every instruction is intended to protect you will you consistently be able to walk away from temptation without question." ~Mike Guzzardo
Monday, September 13, 2010
God's Character Part I.
John 17:20-23
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
A good way to start off the day is how I usually end my posts...with a quote by Mike Guzzardo. "If you want to change your response to temptation and sin, you must first change your perception of God."
The question I want you to think about over the next couple days is "how do you perceive God?" Forget about being cliche, just be honest! Come up with an answer that you actually believe in, not just one that you assume to be true or heard through the grapevine.
Did you know that God cares about you deeply? You can't even begin to fathom how much he cares about your emotions, thoughts, future, and pain. He's created you perfectly in the image of God despite having a few flaws in our own eyes. Ignore those because its Satan trying to bring you down. God would never do that. That's not his nature. You know how when you don't know what to do next, you start pacing up and down the floors of your home? Well, that's how I think of Satan. He's just waiting to destroy you and turn you away from God.
God, the protector, loves you and doesn't want you to listen to the ignorance of Satan. That's why he gives you weapons: the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the armor of God. When you hurt, he hurts.
Do you know what's awesome? As it states in the passage above, Jesus is not only praying for those who were following him at the time, but all those who would ever believe him. Additionally, God loves you just as much as he loves his son! Let's think about this. Jesus was flawless. How could he love us the same? It's because God loves you out of perfect, unconditional love!
I pray for all those out there who are being deceived by the enemy about this very fact. Start digging into the Word if you are having trouble with this. It is meant to change you for the better. Don't expect it to take place overnight; be patient and give it some time.
Here's the song "Beautiful One" by Tim Hughes!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
A good way to start off the day is how I usually end my posts...with a quote by Mike Guzzardo. "If you want to change your response to temptation and sin, you must first change your perception of God."
The question I want you to think about over the next couple days is "how do you perceive God?" Forget about being cliche, just be honest! Come up with an answer that you actually believe in, not just one that you assume to be true or heard through the grapevine.
Did you know that God cares about you deeply? You can't even begin to fathom how much he cares about your emotions, thoughts, future, and pain. He's created you perfectly in the image of God despite having a few flaws in our own eyes. Ignore those because its Satan trying to bring you down. God would never do that. That's not his nature. You know how when you don't know what to do next, you start pacing up and down the floors of your home? Well, that's how I think of Satan. He's just waiting to destroy you and turn you away from God.
God, the protector, loves you and doesn't want you to listen to the ignorance of Satan. That's why he gives you weapons: the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the armor of God. When you hurt, he hurts.
Do you know what's awesome? As it states in the passage above, Jesus is not only praying for those who were following him at the time, but all those who would ever believe him. Additionally, God loves you just as much as he loves his son! Let's think about this. Jesus was flawless. How could he love us the same? It's because God loves you out of perfect, unconditional love!
I pray for all those out there who are being deceived by the enemy about this very fact. Start digging into the Word if you are having trouble with this. It is meant to change you for the better. Don't expect it to take place overnight; be patient and give it some time.
Here's the song "Beautiful One" by Tim Hughes!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Successfully Fighting the Devil Part II.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
If you're still having a hard time seeing past Satan's temptations and schemes, try take the situation to the extreme. Oftentimes, if you just focus on what's in front of us, you will be deceived. However, if you walk down situation avenue, and do a play-by-play for a couple different scenarios, then it is much easier to distinguish between right and wrong.
The enemy may be taunting you saying, "C'mon, if you just do it this once, it won't matter. Besides, it'll be fun." It may be easier to commit to this sin if you only see the devil's side, so that's why it's suggested you look at the extreme. Let's take drinking alcohol to the extreme. Is it really going to be fun when you become an addict and it ruins your life? I don't think so. That's what I mean when I say play the scenarios in your head to decide yes or no. The general rule of thumb is that when something is bad in extreme portions, a little bit isn't good either. The devil loves to make you think that you control anything at anytime. In other words, you can stop sinning if you want. Don't believe this, as good as it sounds!
Imagine if everyone looked at the extreme in order to make the right decision. The world would arguably be a better place. Think about love. If that's taken to the extreme, there wouldn't be any more violence, hate, prejudice, or war. Therefore, taking things to the extreme can not only help you see what Satan is up to, but also God's loving truth.
"Sin is like chocolate covered dog poop. Seriously! When you look at it from a distance, it looks like chocolate. You pick it up, and it feels like chocolate. You bring it closer, and it even smells like chocolate. You take a nibble on the outer chocolate covering, and it even tastes like chocolate. But once you dive in, you are in for a big surprise. Satan is always going to package sin to make it look good. But when you dive in, it will never be what you were hoping for." ~Mike Guzzardo
P.S. Take at least a few minutes today and remember those who died on this day nine years ago.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
If you're still having a hard time seeing past Satan's temptations and schemes, try take the situation to the extreme. Oftentimes, if you just focus on what's in front of us, you will be deceived. However, if you walk down situation avenue, and do a play-by-play for a couple different scenarios, then it is much easier to distinguish between right and wrong.
The enemy may be taunting you saying, "C'mon, if you just do it this once, it won't matter. Besides, it'll be fun." It may be easier to commit to this sin if you only see the devil's side, so that's why it's suggested you look at the extreme. Let's take drinking alcohol to the extreme. Is it really going to be fun when you become an addict and it ruins your life? I don't think so. That's what I mean when I say play the scenarios in your head to decide yes or no. The general rule of thumb is that when something is bad in extreme portions, a little bit isn't good either. The devil loves to make you think that you control anything at anytime. In other words, you can stop sinning if you want. Don't believe this, as good as it sounds!
Imagine if everyone looked at the extreme in order to make the right decision. The world would arguably be a better place. Think about love. If that's taken to the extreme, there wouldn't be any more violence, hate, prejudice, or war. Therefore, taking things to the extreme can not only help you see what Satan is up to, but also God's loving truth.
"Sin is like chocolate covered dog poop. Seriously! When you look at it from a distance, it looks like chocolate. You pick it up, and it feels like chocolate. You bring it closer, and it even smells like chocolate. You take a nibble on the outer chocolate covering, and it even tastes like chocolate. But once you dive in, you are in for a big surprise. Satan is always going to package sin to make it look good. But when you dive in, it will never be what you were hoping for." ~Mike Guzzardo
P.S. Take at least a few minutes today and remember those who died on this day nine years ago.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Successfully Fighting the Devil Part I.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
There's a difference between knowing and believing. You may know in your mind that Jesus loves you, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you truly believe in him. Your actions are what reveal that truth. Until the trustworthiness of God's character becomes a reality in our lives, then the devil will continue to deceive and destroy our lives. When we repeatedly sin, it suggests that we believe sin is better than obeying God's word.
If your mind contains the evil contents of the devil, then you're going to follow the behavior and customs of the world. The world says that we should act now! However, if we let God transform the way we operate, then we will be made into a new person who makes wiser decisions.
In middle school, I realized that I was a very gullible person. I believed just about anything. In fact, someone came up to me and said, "Did you know that gullible isn't in the dictionary?" I said, "Oh, really, is it because of the suffix?" I literally tried to reason with it and even told some of my other friends. They had to confirm that this wasn't true. In order to change this sequence of events, I had to clear up the deception that was causing this and look in the dictionary for myself.
Meanwhile, when you're faced with temptation and you know that you really want to obey God but can't, think about who it's coming from. Whenever you are tempted, two voices sit on your shoulders - that of Satan and God. If you learn the character of whose talking to you, then it's much less confusing when you have to make a decision.
God tells us throughout the Bible that his intentions are to provide us with an abundant life filled with love. He sent his son to die for us so that we could experience this. On the other hand, Satan is the complete opposite; he is anything but trustworthy and loving. Everything he says is a lie no matter how good it may sound, while everything that comes from God, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, will lead us to abundant life.
"Real love is proven by actions, not by words, or even emotions." ~Mike Guzzardo
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
There's a difference between knowing and believing. You may know in your mind that Jesus loves you, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you truly believe in him. Your actions are what reveal that truth. Until the trustworthiness of God's character becomes a reality in our lives, then the devil will continue to deceive and destroy our lives. When we repeatedly sin, it suggests that we believe sin is better than obeying God's word.
If your mind contains the evil contents of the devil, then you're going to follow the behavior and customs of the world. The world says that we should act now! However, if we let God transform the way we operate, then we will be made into a new person who makes wiser decisions.
In middle school, I realized that I was a very gullible person. I believed just about anything. In fact, someone came up to me and said, "Did you know that gullible isn't in the dictionary?" I said, "Oh, really, is it because of the suffix?" I literally tried to reason with it and even told some of my other friends. They had to confirm that this wasn't true. In order to change this sequence of events, I had to clear up the deception that was causing this and look in the dictionary for myself.
Meanwhile, when you're faced with temptation and you know that you really want to obey God but can't, think about who it's coming from. Whenever you are tempted, two voices sit on your shoulders - that of Satan and God. If you learn the character of whose talking to you, then it's much less confusing when you have to make a decision.
God tells us throughout the Bible that his intentions are to provide us with an abundant life filled with love. He sent his son to die for us so that we could experience this. On the other hand, Satan is the complete opposite; he is anything but trustworthy and loving. Everything he says is a lie no matter how good it may sound, while everything that comes from God, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, will lead us to abundant life.
"Real love is proven by actions, not by words, or even emotions." ~Mike Guzzardo
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Nip Sin in the Bud Part II.
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
When we place our trust in the Lord, our faith life works out so much better. The title of my blog is "Living A Life Filled With Faith." That's exactly what you have to do to renew your faith: keep trusting the Lord. Sin may look really good, but you just have to understand and faithfully trust that God knows everything under the sun and why we should or should not do something. Without a faithful foundation, we try to reason with our own logic and sight. This is never a good idea because it will be devastating.
I mean look back at Eve in the Garden of Eden. If she was standing firm with God, her trust wouldn't be shaken when the devil tried to convince her that God wouldn't have any limits if he loved you. At this point, any guidance from God slipped out of her mind and she tried to rely on her own well-being to think of what to do. So, you can see how the evil one uses deception to lessen our trust of God's beneficial intentions for us.
It is imperative that we learn how to apply God's love for us to our life; if we trust that his path is always the way to go, then it'll be no problem to forbid Satan from forcing you to make a decision.
The other reason why we should trust the Lord's decisions and understanding is because we never see the consequences at the time of sin. While one isolated incident of sin like cheating on a test, may go unnoticed now, it can turn into something major. What we don't realize at the time of our sin and temptations is that every decision we make, right and wrong, gradually shapes who we are and what we do with our lives. It's as if we're sewing a habit into our life when we choose to think sin is okay just this once.
Now is the time to identify your weaknesses. Nip it in the bud before it's too late. I mentioned faith earlier in this post. If that exists in your life, Satan's deception won't even phase you. Whatever you do, don't become discouraged. Equip yourself with the level of trust you need toward God to help you resolve your sinful battle. If you figure out how Satan is tricking you now, you'll be more open to receive the great gifts and blessings from God.
"Every decision we make builds momentum, either for good or for evil." ~Mike Guzzardo
I think this is one of the greatest songs of all time (and that's tough because I'm not good at choosing favorites). It's relatively new, too. Anyway, have a listen. It's quite a fitting for today's post:
"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the Moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
When we place our trust in the Lord, our faith life works out so much better. The title of my blog is "Living A Life Filled With Faith." That's exactly what you have to do to renew your faith: keep trusting the Lord. Sin may look really good, but you just have to understand and faithfully trust that God knows everything under the sun and why we should or should not do something. Without a faithful foundation, we try to reason with our own logic and sight. This is never a good idea because it will be devastating.
I mean look back at Eve in the Garden of Eden. If she was standing firm with God, her trust wouldn't be shaken when the devil tried to convince her that God wouldn't have any limits if he loved you. At this point, any guidance from God slipped out of her mind and she tried to rely on her own well-being to think of what to do. So, you can see how the evil one uses deception to lessen our trust of God's beneficial intentions for us.
It is imperative that we learn how to apply God's love for us to our life; if we trust that his path is always the way to go, then it'll be no problem to forbid Satan from forcing you to make a decision.
The other reason why we should trust the Lord's decisions and understanding is because we never see the consequences at the time of sin. While one isolated incident of sin like cheating on a test, may go unnoticed now, it can turn into something major. What we don't realize at the time of our sin and temptations is that every decision we make, right and wrong, gradually shapes who we are and what we do with our lives. It's as if we're sewing a habit into our life when we choose to think sin is okay just this once.
Now is the time to identify your weaknesses. Nip it in the bud before it's too late. I mentioned faith earlier in this post. If that exists in your life, Satan's deception won't even phase you. Whatever you do, don't become discouraged. Equip yourself with the level of trust you need toward God to help you resolve your sinful battle. If you figure out how Satan is tricking you now, you'll be more open to receive the great gifts and blessings from God.
"Every decision we make builds momentum, either for good or for evil." ~Mike Guzzardo
I think this is one of the greatest songs of all time (and that's tough because I'm not good at choosing favorites). It's relatively new, too. Anyway, have a listen. It's quite a fitting for today's post:
"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the Moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Nip Sin in the Bud Part I.
Genesis 3:1
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This, I think, is the core of making that move to surrender to God allowing you to fully experience God and his love abundantly. The deception back in the Garden of Eden was the very first trick that the devil used on a human being - Eve. It caused her to sin and he's not original because he uses the same trick today. So, let's try to weed ourselves out of the devil's twisty tricks.
You see, God created a lovely world within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything in there they could possibly imagine. There were specific directions, however. God said not to eat from a particular tree in the middle of the garden. God, being who he is, knows that horrible suffering will result by ignoring these directions, and out of love, he tries to prevent that from happening.
Satan entered the picture then and tried to degrade God asking Eve why God would ever prohibit them from eating at any tree if he's so loving. Of course, this wasn't entirely true; it was just one tree that they had to avoid. The devil mixes up stories usually making them maybe only half true.
That is why God has given us his Word - the Bible. Our life is not meant to be dull and boring. Instead, he wants to protect you from the worst of sin's wrath. Even if the evil one says that you're missing out on something, don't give in...that's part of his scheme! He wants you to lose your trust and faith in God so that you can't fully surrender to him and can't possibly defeat sin. You have to trust someone to fully surrender to them. Try seeing God as one who is protecting us with a security blanket and maybe the surrendering process will be easier even if we have all the resources. This is why this such a significant step!
"Satan's goal is to paint God as an overly restrictive jerk whose instructions keep us from experiencing good and pleasurable things." ~Mike Guzzardo
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This, I think, is the core of making that move to surrender to God allowing you to fully experience God and his love abundantly. The deception back in the Garden of Eden was the very first trick that the devil used on a human being - Eve. It caused her to sin and he's not original because he uses the same trick today. So, let's try to weed ourselves out of the devil's twisty tricks.
You see, God created a lovely world within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything in there they could possibly imagine. There were specific directions, however. God said not to eat from a particular tree in the middle of the garden. God, being who he is, knows that horrible suffering will result by ignoring these directions, and out of love, he tries to prevent that from happening.
Satan entered the picture then and tried to degrade God asking Eve why God would ever prohibit them from eating at any tree if he's so loving. Of course, this wasn't entirely true; it was just one tree that they had to avoid. The devil mixes up stories usually making them maybe only half true.
That is why God has given us his Word - the Bible. Our life is not meant to be dull and boring. Instead, he wants to protect you from the worst of sin's wrath. Even if the evil one says that you're missing out on something, don't give in...that's part of his scheme! He wants you to lose your trust and faith in God so that you can't fully surrender to him and can't possibly defeat sin. You have to trust someone to fully surrender to them. Try seeing God as one who is protecting us with a security blanket and maybe the surrendering process will be easier even if we have all the resources. This is why this such a significant step!
"Satan's goal is to paint God as an overly restrictive jerk whose instructions keep us from experiencing good and pleasurable things." ~Mike Guzzardo
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
God's Treasure Map Part II.
Psalm 84:11
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Now that's a treasure! God's intentions are not to limit us from any of his goodness. When we follow his treasure map, that leads to learning and altogether goodness. How often do you think that you know what's good for you? The reality is that we don't. Whether it's that summer trip to Europe or the quick stop at the ice cream parlor every night, many times if we make decisions on our own, they just don't turn out beneficial. Instead, turn to God and understand that he will provide us with every good thing.
While the ice cream may be delectable, it may hurt you when you see the extra pounds you gain as a result. Nonetheless, if we are willing to follow God's treasure map and listen to his instructions, then he will bless us with all the good things that help us avoid the treacherous places.
I mentioned it yesterday, in a sense, but you can't have the treasure without following the map. So, you can't possibly see God's beautiful work in your life if you're not allowing him into all areas of your life. It's like unrealistically saying that you're going to get a drink without even removing the cap from the water bottle.
Oh, and those priceless gifts and blessings that Jesus offers us, including salvation, should be expected without demand. We have to follow God's instructions first before anything and thus we shouldn't blame him if we're not seeing what he has to offer.
Have you ever ignored God's direction and guidance and found yourself sinking deeply into a mound of trouble?
"Like every other area of life, our experience of God requires certain things of us." ~Mike Guzzardo
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Now that's a treasure! God's intentions are not to limit us from any of his goodness. When we follow his treasure map, that leads to learning and altogether goodness. How often do you think that you know what's good for you? The reality is that we don't. Whether it's that summer trip to Europe or the quick stop at the ice cream parlor every night, many times if we make decisions on our own, they just don't turn out beneficial. Instead, turn to God and understand that he will provide us with every good thing.
While the ice cream may be delectable, it may hurt you when you see the extra pounds you gain as a result. Nonetheless, if we are willing to follow God's treasure map and listen to his instructions, then he will bless us with all the good things that help us avoid the treacherous places.
I mentioned it yesterday, in a sense, but you can't have the treasure without following the map. So, you can't possibly see God's beautiful work in your life if you're not allowing him into all areas of your life. It's like unrealistically saying that you're going to get a drink without even removing the cap from the water bottle.
Oh, and those priceless gifts and blessings that Jesus offers us, including salvation, should be expected without demand. We have to follow God's instructions first before anything and thus we shouldn't blame him if we're not seeing what he has to offer.
Have you ever ignored God's direction and guidance and found yourself sinking deeply into a mound of trouble?
"Like every other area of life, our experience of God requires certain things of us." ~Mike Guzzardo
Monday, September 6, 2010
God's Treasure Map Part I.
Psalm 37:4
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We've all seen the cheesy treasure or scavenger hunts where we have to follow specific directions and go to specific locations. It's a step-by-step process that allows you to get small, itty bitty clues about the final result. In the end, usually there is something waiting for you whether it's a person or a gift.
In Mike Guzzardo's book "The Great Divide," he compares our walk with Christ to a treasure hunt. When we're about our everyday business God somehow still manages to direct us to particular scriptures and waits for us anxiously at the end to share with us the treasures that we gain from being in a relationship with him. We have a huge reward waiting for us!
The problem that we have as Christians is that when we're given a map, we take shortcuts. We want to get to our final destination sooner rather than later. At every step, there is a clue, however, about the riches we will receive in the end. When we follow the Word of God, it's guidance directs us toward a whole new and better perspective of life.
If you feel like you're not at the receiving end of God's treasures, chances are you're not following his treasure map closely enough or even at all. Sure God makes promises and they're true, but they aren't a reality if we ignore the responsibility that we have on our end.
How do we reach the pot of gold (AKA the desires of our heart)? Delight ourselves in the Lord. Think of all the money accumulated around the world trying to achieve the biggest dreams only to fall short. Well, I'm telling you, if you delight in the Lord, you will not fall short of his glory and your dreams. You can't just see the treasure on the map and get it. You have to see it and seek it until the end.
When you delight in the Lord, that means that you treasure God's every move and appreciate his guidance in your life. The best thing of all when you get conditioned in delighting yourself with the Lord is that all of your false desires will be swept away because our God is a true God. Therefore, our desires become one and he is more than happy to grant us with our greatest dreams.
"God loves us so much that he gives us clues in his Word so we can discover the great things he has in store for us." ~Mike Guzzardo
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We've all seen the cheesy treasure or scavenger hunts where we have to follow specific directions and go to specific locations. It's a step-by-step process that allows you to get small, itty bitty clues about the final result. In the end, usually there is something waiting for you whether it's a person or a gift.
In Mike Guzzardo's book "The Great Divide," he compares our walk with Christ to a treasure hunt. When we're about our everyday business God somehow still manages to direct us to particular scriptures and waits for us anxiously at the end to share with us the treasures that we gain from being in a relationship with him. We have a huge reward waiting for us!
The problem that we have as Christians is that when we're given a map, we take shortcuts. We want to get to our final destination sooner rather than later. At every step, there is a clue, however, about the riches we will receive in the end. When we follow the Word of God, it's guidance directs us toward a whole new and better perspective of life.
If you feel like you're not at the receiving end of God's treasures, chances are you're not following his treasure map closely enough or even at all. Sure God makes promises and they're true, but they aren't a reality if we ignore the responsibility that we have on our end.
How do we reach the pot of gold (AKA the desires of our heart)? Delight ourselves in the Lord. Think of all the money accumulated around the world trying to achieve the biggest dreams only to fall short. Well, I'm telling you, if you delight in the Lord, you will not fall short of his glory and your dreams. You can't just see the treasure on the map and get it. You have to see it and seek it until the end.
When you delight in the Lord, that means that you treasure God's every move and appreciate his guidance in your life. The best thing of all when you get conditioned in delighting yourself with the Lord is that all of your false desires will be swept away because our God is a true God. Therefore, our desires become one and he is more than happy to grant us with our greatest dreams.
"God loves us so much that he gives us clues in his Word so we can discover the great things he has in store for us." ~Mike Guzzardo
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