Hey all,

The next entry in the 12 "Be's" is Be Fruitful.

From a previous post a couple of years ago....here you go.

Check this out. When we think about what "More Life" looks like........this might help you see it more clearly. It did for me while doing a study this week so I thought I would share.


Follow this.....

- John 10:10 says that Jesus "came so we could have Life, and have it to the full". There is more life to be lived.

- Proverbs 4:23 says that "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life". Life comes from what is in our hearts.

- Galatians 5:16 says "Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the sinful nature". We are to have the Spirit in our heart to fend off sin.

- Galatians 5:22 says that "the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control"". The Spirit (More life) looks like the outward expression of the fruits of the Spirit.


So if we add all this up then it starts to make sense.

Using the statement below to prompt our thoughts and using the fruits of the Spirit as our guide.....it is pretty easy to see. My answers are below.

I feel "More Life" when.........

- I feel loved and am loving others outwardly
- I have joy in my heart that cannot be contained. I am infectious. I am happy.
- I have a peace in my soul that helps me to not worry.
- I feel I am patient with others and worldly things, even when i don't think they don't deserve it:)
- I am kind to others without trying.
- I see the good in my circumstances and I am fighting for good.
- My faith is more important than the events of my day.
- I feel a compassion and gentle spirit towards others or circumstances.
- I can demonstrate self control on things I usually cannot.
- I am in step with the Spirit.

The Fruits of the Spirit are more life! Try filling in the statements for yourself.

Strength and Honor,

-S

Riding Dragons

Hey all.

The third "Be" in the 12 Be's is to "Be Brave". 

Simply put......this quote sums up what I believe it means to "be Brave" in our faith.

All of us think that to be Brave we must slay the "Dragon" in our life.  We must grab hold of it and kill it. 

We try and we try and we try to kill it...............but we can't.  It won't die.

But check this out..........I don't think that is what it means to be brave in our faith.  Bravery is not taking on a battle every day that we never can win. 

Instead......we are called to ride it.  Ride the dragon in your life.  Don't try to kill it....but instead.....turn towards it and jump on it and ride it.  We can't live our lives afraid of our Dragons.  We cannot let them have control over us.  When we are Brave.......we can move towards our Dragons instead of running away from them.  

You see......our faith does not call us to try and kill it......but rather to stand in our faith and get on it and take authority over it through the power and grace of Jesus.  Ride that thing...........take it the 8 seconds.  Show it that it doesn't control us.  Don't be afraid.   If we lean on HIM, we can do it.  

Matthew 19:26 says......  "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

That is what Bravery looks like to me.  The Bravery and faith to turn into our "Dragons" and take them on head to head.  To be Brave enough to get on that Dragon and ride it out knowing that HE is with us...

And know that all things are possible through HIM.................when we are Brave enough to take them on.

S&H,

-S
 

Courage - Seen and Heard

Hey all,

What does it mean to you to be Courageous in your faith?  What comes to mind?  Most of us think that we have to "lose our life" to
show true courage in our faith.

But check this out.  We don't have to lose our life.  We are called to be courageous and share our story with others.  That is a definition of courage that most of us don't think about.  It is about sharing what we have seen and heard. 

Let's check out the scripture for a reference.

In the book of Acts, there is the story of Peter healing a crippled man at the temple gate (Acts Chapter 3).  After he performs the miracle, the priests and the temple guards came and took Peter (and John) and put them in jail.  The Priests were worried because so many people were talking about the miracle and hearing about how it was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

The High Priests and Elders called for Peter and John to be brought forward and began to question them......"By what power or name did you do this?" they asked.

Peter responded that it was in the name of Jesus Christ that the crippled man was now standing before them.  The same Jesus that they crucified and then raised from the dead three days later.

"When the High Priests saw the the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled and ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" Acts 4:13-15. So they let them go but told them to never speak of this again.

However Peter and John replied...."Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard".

You see, having courage in our faith is not just about standing up for Jesus.  It is about our willingness to share with others about what we have seen and heard.  It is about sharing our story.  It is telling others about the before and after "you".  It is what Peter and John were doing that day.  Two unschooled and ordinary men.......showing courage because they knew what they had seen and heard was true.  They had been transformed by Jesus.  They were changed. 

Each of us has a story to share of what we have personally seen and heard in our life.....and how the Lord was there during the suffering, redemption, and celebrations.  We have all seen and heard HIM in our lives.  

We just have to have the courage to share it.

S&H,

-S

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.
1 Cor 16:3

Be Strong

Hey all,

First on the list of the 12 "Be's".........is to Be Strong.

The Lord tells us we can be "strong" in Him.  However, our strength does not come from our own physical abilities, but from the protection and strength that we receive from the Father.  It comes from our relationship with Him. 

Check this out.  Our strength actually comes from the heart.  It is not the worldly strength we most often think of when we think of what it means to be strong.  Our strength comes from giving up all of our heart.  It is about our belief and trust in Him. 

Psalm 28:7 says...."The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped". 

When we are protected, then we are safe. And when we feel safe, we feel a sense of security.  It is when we are feeling secure, then we can live in our glory.  We feel a sense of strength.  You see, the Lord is our strength AND our shield.  He protects us and gives His love, grace, and joy. 

Nehemiah 8:10 says ....."for the joy of the Lord is my strength".

Through His endless love, grace, and joy........we are protected.  He is our strength and our shield.

All he wants from us for this strength and protection is our heart.  And when we give it completely to Him, then we are strong.

In Him.

S&H,

-S

Freedom after 56 years!

Hey all,

I was part of something tonight that I have to share. 

I spent the night tonight at the Kershaw State Penitentiary in South Carolina.  I have been blessed to be part of something really special happening there.  Transformation Church, www.transformationchurch.tc,  has a group of men that meets every Friday night and worships our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ as a part of Transformation Church.  It is amazing what the Lord is doing there.

After an incredible time or worship and a great message from our Pastor, Derwin Gray,....there were 31 men who were baptized tonight!  It was awesome.  I have not felt the presence of the Lord many times in my life as I did at Kershaw this evening.

One man who was baptized stood out.  He is 75 years old and has been incarcerated for 56 years.  41 of those years at Kershaw!  About three weeks ago, he gave his life to the Lord.  He was asked by a fellow inmate "why he was so angry?  Where is the joy in your life?"  The other inmate asked.

Tonight, he was baptized as his testimony to the world of his new faith.  Upon coming out of the water, he shared with the over 200 men and volunteers that were in attendance that "after 56 years in prison.....he was finally Free!" He said..."I could not shake what my friend asked me.....I realized that I did not have any joy or happiness.  At that moment, I got on my knees and asked Jesus to save me from the prison in my mind and my heart".

After 56 years behind the gates and walls of prison......tonight he is truly free.

And he went back to his cell.  Changed.  New.

And with the same bars in place.......but Free. 

S&H,

-S

 

The 12 "Be's"

Hey all,

I have been thinking lately about what we are called "to be" as Believers.  God calls us to "be" certain things to fulfill our role in HIS story.

While it is certainly not everything we are called to "be".....I have come up with what I feel are 12 things that HE calls us to "be" in our life. 

I am calling them the "12 Be's".   Here you go.

HE calls us to.....

Be Strong
Be Courageous
Be Brave
Be Faithful
Be Willing
Be Available
Be Open
Be Honest
Be Loving
Be Selfless
Be Serving
Be Generous

I hope to write in more detail about each one in the coming weeks and how each is grounded in the scripture.  Hope you get something out of each.

Strength and Honor,

-S

Denial

Hey all.

Jesus told Peter on the night before he was crucified......."Will you really lay down your life for me?  I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times".

Peter was shocked!  There was no way that he would disown Jesus.  Absolutely.........no possible way.  Peter felt like he had already laid down his life for Jesus.  He had given up everything and had been following him for months already.  How could Jesus say that he would disown him?  I would guess that Peter could not even get his mind around it.  There is no way that he would deny him.  No way! 

But he did.  It happened.  Before the rooster crowed, Peter disowned him not once, not twice, but three times......just as Jesus had predicted.   

How could someone as dedicated to Jesus as Peter ever disown him?  How could he not be fully dedicated?  How could he not pass that "test"?  And if Peter could not pass the test.........then how can we?  I mean really.....how can we?

Check this out. 

Peter was set up.  Jesus knew that he would deny knowing him.  But he also knew that Peter really had given his life to him.  He had given up everything to follow him.  He knew that Peter loved him deeply, but he also knew that Peter was just a man and that meant he was not perfect.  He would mess up.  He knew that he would feel pressure and he would respond to it.  Jesus knew that Peter would deny that he knew the one he loved.  But that did not mean that Peter didn't love him.  He did.  Deeply.  But Peter was a man...and he was broken.  He could not help it. 

Peter was just like us.

We have to remember that although we love Him and would say that we would lay down our life for him..............we are still not perfect.  We will end up denying him too.  But probably not in the way Peter did. Our way is more subtle.  Our way is less noticeable.  We may not deny him with a mob that is surrounding us........but it is still the same.  It is denying Him.  We deny Him with our actions.

We might fail to act on a voice we hear telling us to do something.  We might refuse to give away our talents.  We may not follow our heart when we know it is clearly telling us to act on a certain something.  We may withhold forgiveness.  In doing so......we deny what the Lord is telling us to do.  And in those times.....................we are  "denying him".   It is the same thing as Peter.

We just don't hear the rooster.

Strength and Honor,

-S