Scandalous Discipleship 

Throughout December, we’ve looked at the scandals of the advent. The definition of the word scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing public outrage. From the King becoming to an unmarried teenager, to being born in Poverty, then the murders surrounding Jesus’ birth. What about the expensive elaborate gifts given to a humble king? Then having to be moving like a fugitive to avoid the law of the land. The greatest of all scandals must have been the insurrection at the cross. Jesus’ scandalous death on the torture instrument called the cross would cause outrage and cast a long shadow over his life and his followers. 

What makes the Christian faith different from any other, is how Christ’s followers all have scandalous lives just like the Advent and the crucifixion. The Christian faith has the boldness to declare that we were lost in sin and through Christ’s death on the cross the world was reconciled to God. The Christian faith has the audacity to declare that those who are Jesus’ disciples should take up the cross… 

I suppose the ultimate scandal is that suffering can be used by God for our good. Suffering is not only redemptive in the life of Jesus. It is redemptive in our own lives. Christ will use our sufferings to establish his kingdom, witness to his gospel, and work greater holiness in our personal lives. On this day as we kick off the new year, here’s a resolution worth keeping: Take up Christ’s cross of obedience, face the hardship that such a life of discipleship creates, and follow your Lord with everything you have – loving your neighbour as yourself. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

“Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:38).

Let’s Pray Yahshua, thank you for your willingness to bear my burdens. Father, give me the strength to bear the burdens of others and take up the cross of discipleship and all that it brings for your sake. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Just Like Dad

Just Like Dad

In the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11:1-4), Jesus begins his prayer with, “Our father who art in heaven.” That first word reminds us that we are not alone, that we are linked through God to one another as one family, and He is daddy. As we come close to God, we are drawn into a closer relationship with one another. By telling us to call God “father,” Jesus moves us from images of a remote God to an image of God as one who is with us constantly, who cares about us always, who daily provides for us like a good father should. I was always told, “you look like your dad, you walk like your dad and you act like him. This should be what folk say about us and our heavenly father. One whose likeness we bear at the deepest levels of our being.

Today, we ought to respect God’s title as father, “Holy is His Name,” we must acknowledge God’s holiness. This may seem a contradiction, to acknowledge that we are family and then immediately to acknowledge God’s holiness (in contrast to our lack of it). But “Holy is His Name” reminds us that one of the basic postures of prayer is awe. This is the essence of prayer: being with God as we are and He accepting us as child no matter what we’ve done, and we accepting God as God is. This encounter changes us, bit by bit, and allows us to experience freedom, confidence and self-worth. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18.)


So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into His glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for being my father. Thank You for Your acceptance of me as Your sinful child and not turning Your back on me. I respect and love You today and always, You are awesome, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

You Were Chosen Before Creation

God had a plan for you before the foundations of the world. He chose you to be His ambassador, His representative. He created you to reflect His glory, character, righteousness, and holiness.  

Part of Your purpose on this earth is to represent Christ the King! That should make you walk a little differently. It should make you talk a little differently. It should make you think differently and a little more carefully about the places you go and the things you do. 

Today, know that God will equip you to do whatever He’s called you to do. If there are things in your life that you need to change in order to represent Him well, God wants to empower you to overcome them. Receive God’s strength today so that you can walk in holiness and be His ambassador everywhere you go! 

??“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” (Ephesians 1:4, NIV) 

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, thank You for choosing me before the foundation of the world to be Your representative in the world. Father, please search my heart and remove anything that is displeasing to You. I receive Your holiness and will walk according to Your ways and my purpose, in Christ’s Name! Amen. 

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5 Ways To Stay Faithful In Your Faith

Nowadays, it’s easy to forget about our faith, since our busy lives and the negativity have taken over, with people dying, many wrongdoings, and sin being evident everywhere we look. Plus, it’s hard to tell who are friends are, especially when someone whom we’re supposed to trust doesn’t really feel accountable for anything”¦ or anyone. Even when people make promises, they either don’t keep them, or they forget about them.

As you can tell by now, sin is detrimental to one’s life; and, it stops us from being that God has created us to be. Just because we don’t have faith-based friends or careers, doesn’t mean that we, ourselves, can’t be faith-based. So, here are five basic tips on how to stay faithful in your faith:

1. Remember That God Is Your Friend

“There’s no denying that God is a friend to those who believe in Him,” says Thomas Gettysburg, a lifestyle writer at Next Coursework. “As Christians, it’s important to spend time with God as often as possible, just as you would with your regular friends.”

You can welcome God as your friend by doing the following:

· Attend church each weekend. (This is just one of the things that Jesus has asked of all his disciples.)

· Speak to God, and listen for Him every morning and every night. Offering yourself to God each day and night allows you to be closer to Him.

· Volunteer to help others (e.g. helping out in soup kitchens, offering your services to homeless shelters, etc.). In this way, you’ll not only help others, but also help yourself know and love God more.

· Go to confession at least once a month. Sacramental reconciliation allows you to “begin again,” to restore and strengthen your friendship with God.

· Seek counsel from someone trustworthy (e.g. a good priest or well-informed lay person) that you can talk you whenever needed.

2. Call Up A Friend

In today’s world, most people can’t live without their cell phones for more than .003 seconds away at any given moment of the day. So, why not make some good use with your phone by calling up a friend, and checking in with them.

You may want to have someone you trust on speed dial, so you could have them on the phone within seconds. Just keep in mind: don’t vent to them if you don’t want to; you can always start a conversation about something else, in order to take your mind off the negative. And

ultimately, God knows about your personal woes; so, give up all the negativity for Him to take care of.

3. Keep Your Rosary Handy

There’s nothing wrong with carrying a rosary with your in your pocket (or in your bag or purse). Or, you can wrap your rosary around your wrist; though, don’t make it seem like a fashion accessory, rather than a scared tool. Wear it (or carry it) as a constant reminder of Mary saying “yes” to God even when times are tough. Let your rosary encourage you to say “yes” to God, even when it seems impossible. And finally, don’t be afraid to pray with it, either.

4. Remember Your “Alternatives”

Let’s face it: temptation is where. So, if you’re not with accountable people, have an alternative activity that is your “go to.” Train yourself to avoid sin.

The best way to avoid sin is to use your gifts and talents the right way. For example, if you’re an athlete, you must make it your job to keep training and exercising to stay active. Another example is that if you have an interest or hobby, find an alternative way to do these things, so that you can use your gifts to glorify God, not sin against Him with.

5. Surround Yourself With Inspiration

Looking for inspiration from your faith? Why not have visuals inspire you?

One way to do this is to change the background on your cell phone and computer to show an inspiring Scripture verse, or even a picture of Jesus. Basic? Yes. However, this will remind you of your commitment to Christ each time you might be tempted to use your devices to sin.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the key to staying faithful in your faith is to commit to being faithful, and not straying from the path. As you stay on the path with these 5 simple tips, not only will you grow in holiness, but you’ll also grow with God.

Michael Dehoyos writes for Dissertation writing service and Write my assignment. He also contributes to numerous publications, such as Origin Writings. As a content marketer, he helps companies improve their marketing strategies.

Been in the Secret Place Lately?

What if I told you that at the end of 2018, we will know more of God’s splendor?

That we’d fall on our faces in tears at seeing Him in His beauty?

That it will break our heart over how we’ve neglected Him?

Bobby Conner spoke these words in early August at a teaching on The Secret Place held in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. For five decades, Bobby Conner has ministered worldwide as a seasoned prophet of God. Uniquely anointed with a profound, passionate love for Jesus Christ and a fervent desire to discern and herald God’s voice to prepare the Lamb’s Bride to establish God’s Kingdom, Bobby is called to awaken the warriors to arise and contend for the true faith.

I savored the opportunity to set aside the duties of daily life and immerse myself in scripture. It felt like a long, luxurious soak in a warm tub, the purity of God’s Word washing me clean as the fragrance of His Spirit energized my spiritual senses.  I try to set aside a few days each year for this type of conference to keep myself on track with the Lord.

Reasons to Schedule Time in the Secret Place

  1. The secret place is a person, not a place. Coming into the secret place is meeting with God, just you and He alone. I know you know this. I’m just reminding you to emphasize the person you are meeting with over the location.
  2. Frequenting the secret place often keeps us moist and pliable clay in the potter’s hands. Who wants to be dried out, brittle clay? The Master Potter can only create beautiful vases from moist, pliable clay. Only the Holy Spirit saturates. Two hours a week on Sundays evaporates readily.
  3. The secret place to me is sitting before God’s fireplace, the place of fiery passion where I acquire His fire and my heart is forged in His flame (Isaiah 60:1-5). It is where our zeal, passion and commitment are strengthened like bonded steel. As a  result, His glory shall be seen upon us! The wind of the Holy Ghost fans the flames of hunger within us – we hunger for deeper knowledge of God the longer we stare into His flaming eyes of love and listen to His Word echoing within.

My heart was hot within me. While I was musing, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.  Lord, make me to know my end and to appreciate the measure of my days—what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am how transient is my stay here (Psalm 39:3-4 AMPC).

He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]  (Isaiah 50:4 AMPC).

Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it  is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you (Hosea 10:12 AMPC).

In Part 2– Pathway to the Secret Place I will share more on why we want to luxuriate there, what it is and what it does for us. You won’t want to miss it!  

What example are you setting?

What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” Ecclesiastes 10:1

Just a little food for thought, because I am so tired of reading comments on social posts that attack the Christianity of others for telling the truth of God. I live in the south and there is a very common saying here, when someone gets mad at a Christian, after hearing the entire harrowing story of what has been done, you can almost guarantee the next words you will hear is, “And if THEY are going to heaven, I don’t have anything to worry about” if its someone I know, I usually like to add “Well, at least they are trying” and usually the one bashing the beliefs of another is not even saved.

Like it or not, fair or not, we are held to a higher standard. And right now the enemy is having a field day twisting those standards.

Maybe this is what opened the door for the onslaught of false and downright blasphemous practices of today. When the true Gospel is often met with jeers of intolerant, bigot, and anyone who warns of societal wrong is a target for their truly venomous hatred.

I read an article recently, written by a man a household name in the evangelical world, the article was true, based on the word of God and of course came with the warnings that no one in our present world wants to hear, including many in the “church” world. Of course, in the comments was a scathing rebuttal which included “that’s really Christian of him” and that unfortunately is now the world’s answer to the Gospel.

If we preach, if we write, if we witness, even in some of our personal lives everything we say is judged, everything we do is judged, and it is judged by an unsaved world who wants to take certain scriptures completely out of context and attempt to use God’s own word against his servants.

Proverbs 9:6-8 advises us this: “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hates thee: rebuke a wise man and he will love thee.”

There is no changing their opinions, only God can do that.It can be quite the temptation not to reply, but we are not to argue the Gospel.

2 Timothy 2:16: “But shun profane and vain babblings (worthless talk): for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

So it is up to us to step up to a higher level and check ourselves daily and even in hard situations to be certain that we are the reflections of God that he desires us to be.

Too often we become slack and even if having an upright reputation those decaying, dead things are allowed to enter into our lives it will destroy the work that God would do through us.

1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”  

And when you also consider verses such as Song of Solomon 1: 3: “Because of the savour (fragrance) of thy good ointments thy name is as an ointment poured forth…..”

Because of His beautiful Holy name and the mention of that name alone brings the sweetest healing and sweetest fragrance of all that He is and we bear His name.

Even if something may seem harmless, ask if that action or those words would reflect honorably toward God. An off-color joke or inappropriate remark can detract from our witness to another person and often those who feel offended are rightfully so, but it has become so out of control that all that bear the name of Christ are open to that same criticism.

Most of us have those we look up too and especially new converts that view elders as a source of encouragement and guidance and when one who is, as our scripture states, known for wisdom gives over to their flesh, in any way, because the verse also states ” a little folly” they bring reproach and cheapen and nullify the true Gospel. The new covert is left feeling empty, betrayed, and absolutely disillusioned.

Again anyone can stumble, anyone can fall, but it is up to us to stay on guard, guard against ourselves, our flesh, and when we do we must be quick to admit that and repent.

So keep your testimony and the sweetest of the life God has given you a “no-fly zone” and keep it clean.

Romans 14:16: “Let not your good be evil spoken of.” The devil is always going to send someone to tear us down, and we don’t need to keep giving them the tools for the job.

35 Best Conflict Resolution Quotes

35 Best Conflict Resolution Quotes

Conflict happens. However, avoidance of conflict, with no effort to resolve it, postpones a proper response and exacerbates the problem because conflicts that are allowed to fester unaddressed will always increase and have negative effects on relationships within the body.

These quotes seem to suggest that it is how you handle the situation, your attitude going into the conflict, and the conflict  resolution that matters.

  1. “If you understood everything I said, you’d be me.” — Miles Davis
  2. “Don’t look where you fall, but where you slipped.” — African proverb
  3. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” — Paul Boese
  4. “If war is the violent resolution of conflict, then peace is not the absence of conflict, but rather, the ability to resolve conflict without violence.” — C.T. Lawrence Butler
  5. “One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations is that in political, military, moral, and spiritual confrontations, there should be an honest attempt at the reconciliation of differences before resorting to combat.” — Jimmy Carter
  6. “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” — Cherokee proverb
  7. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill
  8. “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill
  9. “Every conflict we face in life is rich with positive and negative potential. It can be a source of inspiration, enlightenment, learning, transformation, and growth–or rage, fear, shame, entrapment, and resistance. The choice is not up to our opponents, but to us, and our willingness to face and work through them.” — Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith
  10. “The quality of our lives depends not on whether or not we have conflicts, but on how we respond to them.” — Tom Crum
  11. “I believe that the basic nature of human beings is gentle and compassionate. It is therefore in our own interest to encourage that nature, to make it live within us, to leave room for it to develop. If on the contrary, we use violence, it is as if we voluntarily obstruct the positive side of human nature and prevent its evolution.” — His Holiness the Dalai Lama
  12. “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass
  13. “The more incompetent one feels, the more eager he is to fight.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  14. “Every person in this life has something to teach me—and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening.” — Catherine Doucette
  15. “The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way in which we use them.” — Adriana Doyle
  16. “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” — Wayne Dyer
  17. “Whenever two good people argue over principles, they are both right.” — Marie Ebner von Eschenbach
  18. “Today . . . spend more time with people who bring out the best in you, not the stress in you.”—- Unknown Author
  19. “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” — Unknown
  20. “Love is our most unifying and empowering common spiritual denominator. The more we ignore its potential to bring greater balance and deeper meaning to human existence, the more likely we are to continue to define history as one long inglorious record of man’s inhumanity to man.”  — Unknown
  21. “You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.” — Buckminister Fuller
  22. “Our greatest power as nations and individuals is not the ability to employ assault weapons, suicide bombers, and drones to destroy each other. The greater more creative powers with which we may arm ourselves are grace and compassion sufficient enough to love and save each other.” — Seth Godin
  23. “The problem with holding a grudge is that your hands are then too full to hold onto anything else.” — Seth Godin
  24. “To truly listen is to risk being changed forever.” — Sakej Henderson
  25. “The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
  26. “Whenever you’re in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.” — William James
  27. “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” – Jesse Jackson
  28. “Always pass a plate of forgiveness before each verbal feast — Anabel Jensen
  29. “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” — Kimberly Johnson
  30. “If you’re not listening, you’re not learning.” — L.B. Johnson
  31. “Conflict cannot survive without your participation.”— Wayne Dyer
  32. Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” — Carl Jung
  33. “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”— Anthony Robbins
  34. “Happiness depends on what you can give, not on what you can get.”— Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati
  35. “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” — Martin Luther King

Jesus did not advocate non-violence merely as a technique for outwitting the enemy, but as a just means of opposing the enemy in such a way as to hold open the possibility of the enemy’s becoming just as well. Both sides must win. We are summoned to pray for our enemies’ transformation, and to respond to ill-treatment with a love that not only is godly but also, I am convinced, can only be found in God.

Stone-Throwing Christians

Social media has taken root in the lives of many. While there are many benefits to it, its drawbacks are rapidly overtaking any positive results and effects of them. We expect to come across bullying, slander, threats, and all things malicious in the world of the Lost, but when we come across Christians partaking of all that is wrong with social media, then something is wrong.

I once believed (naively so), that Christians would not bash each other on social media. Imagine my dismay when I was, to put it simply, attacked by one who professed to be a Believer. My eyes were abruptly opened then, and the rose-tinted glasses that I used to wear were ripped off with great force. It’s funny how once you see something, you cannot ‘unsee’ it. Furthermore, you start to see it everywhere. If you were to put a Christian and an Unsaved in a boxing ring of words, there is no telling who would win. This goes against everything that we stand for and believe in our faith, and it’s really sad to see.

Jesus gave us many teachings were are to live by. One of the most important ones and a commandment at that was to love your neighbor as yourself. If we do not understand what love is, then we go to 1 Corinthians 13. Everything that we do as Believers should be done in love, and while I do understand that we do not get it right all the time, we do have to make the effort to think before we speak or rather think before we type scathing remarks. We have to remember that what comes out of our mouths (whether spoken or written) is an indication of what condition our hearts are in. We are not doing ourselves or others any favors by negatively commenting on their posts- even if they are wrong. Remember when Jesus said that he who has no sin should throw the first rock? That woman was caught in sin and by law should have been stoned (could this have included the men that she sinned with?), but she wasn’t because those people didn’t have a leg to stand on. And there was our Jesus- the most kindest and loving Man that ever walked the earth- crouching on the ground, writing who knows what in the dust, and being completely calm about the energy-charged atmosphere. One by one, they all turned away until Jesus was the only one left. And what did He say? He said that he wouldn’t condemn her and that she should sin no more. The only One that had never sinned in His entire life would not pick up a stone to kill the woman. Why do we believe that it is acceptable to attack people on social media? We attack their faith, their ‘holiness’, their level of knowledge of the Bible, their pictures, comments… the list is endless.

I completely understand that at times, Believers post things that are inappropriate or inaccurate (concerning GOD’S Word). Some of them aren’t even true Believers, but wolves in sheep’s clothing, looking to stir some things up, and many Christians take the bait. Before we know it, we’re in a bitter war of words and it just gets out of hand. We sit behind our screens (many people hide their identities with made up names and ‘anonymous’) and create these words that cut into people, anger people, shame people and even lead people to take their own lives. How do we know that our comment wasn’t the cherry on the death cake of someone’s downward spiral to suicide? We only see what is on our screens, but we know nothing of the person behind the post. And there is absolutely no use in saying ‘well, that person should not have posted that in the first place!’ because it doesn’t work with Jesus. We will be giving an account of our own lives to GOD- ‘that person did this, so I did/said this’ is not going to cut it with the Almighty. You are responsible for your own words and actions.

There is a way to lovingly correct someone, and there is a way to tear them down and attack them. We have the latter one down pat, but we lack the ability to lovingly correct each other. I find that people who are mature in faith and truly understand that love is the way to go when correcting a fellow brother or sister in Christ, will either refrain from commenting at all and rather pray for the person, or will choose their words very carefully and give the truth. Yes, some people will still see the loving correction as an attack and get mad, but that is only their conscience talking. You are not condoning anything by refusing to leave a comment, but if you do believe that you should say something in response to someone, then please choose your words carefully and make sure that it is Scripturally based. Don’t comment in an attempt to ‘be right’, ‘school this person’, or even to prove how much more of a Christian you are than the next person.

Do everything knowing that the Holy Spirit is right there and is a witness to all that you do. If you find that you cannot (or will not) control your hand on that keyboard when it comes to commenting, then get off social media and immerse yourself in GOD’S Word until you can better control your impulses. Let’s be true ambassadors of Christ and control our tongues.

(Although my words are stern and straightforward, they were written in love and a need to bring to attention a part of our lives that we have neglected. By no means am I perfect or always right, but GOD’S Word is always true and never changes.)

 

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