This week I happened to stumble on an article that really made a lot of sense. It concentrated on a statement Christians often use that might become their self filling prophecy (no doubt created by the enemy). The enemy knows that he cannot change your citizenship in heavenly places or in our relationship to Christ (Ephesians 2:1-7); but he can certainly try and make us feel like second-class citizens. What is this devilish statement? "I'm just a sinner saved by grace."
The Grace of God saved you, but you are a "sinner" no more. That is the enemy's lie to keep you in a defeated place. Nowhere in the New Testament do the writers call those who have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ "sinners". We have the living God within us and Paul and the other New Testament writers call believers "Saints". Just think about the repercussions of that statement, "I am just a sinner saved by grace". If you think of yourself as a sinner, how you will act? Lowered expectations cause you to act like you think. If you think you are a "sinner" then you will act like a sinner. So congrats, you Saint!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Don't worry, be happy
Following a very bad experience I had with a reputable online store, I found myself really needing some positive energy to get me through the week. The situation made me take a step back and reflect.
What is the one of the biggest obstacles that we face in living a Christ like life and achieving our personal best?
Our mind and our thoughts. Begin to master them, and we can begin to live more satisfying lives. Then there would be little we could not accomplish over time. Happiness, love, character, success – they all begin in the mind.
The moment we begin paying attention to our thoughts we discover how unruly they are. Estimates place the number of thoughts we have each day at 40 to 60 thousand, and we really don’t have more than a very basic control over them. Increasing this control is often said to be the hardest work of all, but the rewards are priceless. The good news is; even the slightest increase in gaining this control is well worth it.
Joel Osteen talks about thoughts in his most recent book "Become a Better You". To over simplify, Joel says that if we would decide to automatically react to a bad situation by mentally "tagging" it with something positive, our attitude and demeanor will improve drastically.
Here are some things I try to do my best at to rid my mind of negative thoughts: Change the radio station. If the song or the talk is negative or depressing, find something else. Leave the water cooler or lunch room if conversation turns to gossip or something similarly unproductive. Don't use your autopilot to automatically react to everything. Take a minute to set up every situation that comes across your path with a positive thought.
David
What is the one of the biggest obstacles that we face in living a Christ like life and achieving our personal best?
Our mind and our thoughts. Begin to master them, and we can begin to live more satisfying lives. Then there would be little we could not accomplish over time. Happiness, love, character, success – they all begin in the mind.
The moment we begin paying attention to our thoughts we discover how unruly they are. Estimates place the number of thoughts we have each day at 40 to 60 thousand, and we really don’t have more than a very basic control over them. Increasing this control is often said to be the hardest work of all, but the rewards are priceless. The good news is; even the slightest increase in gaining this control is well worth it.
Joel Osteen talks about thoughts in his most recent book "Become a Better You". To over simplify, Joel says that if we would decide to automatically react to a bad situation by mentally "tagging" it with something positive, our attitude and demeanor will improve drastically.
Here are some things I try to do my best at to rid my mind of negative thoughts: Change the radio station. If the song or the talk is negative or depressing, find something else. Leave the water cooler or lunch room if conversation turns to gossip or something similarly unproductive. Don't use your autopilot to automatically react to everything. Take a minute to set up every situation that comes across your path with a positive thought.
David
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Starting anew in 2008
It was great to see new faces in our home team gathering Monday evening (01/07/08). Welcome Brenda, Brandy, Mike and Simon (and kiddos!). Thanks for making us your BAF Home Team! We humbly come into 2008 knowing God is doing great things in the background of each and every one of our lives. He is going to take us places we never could dream possible. God is great!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Thanks Caller Times
This is a letter to the editor that was published in the December 6, 2007 Caller Times:
Rethink holiday
Really? A holiday tree? Here we go again, pretty much like every other year. How do you take Christ out of Christmas? If it weren't for Christ, there would be no Christmas. How can a small minority change what the masses have always known while we Christians sit back and let them do it?
Don't believe in Jesus? I don't mean to judge you or offend you, but you might want to do some research. Eternity is a long time. God's word says put Him first in all things. It doesn't say put God everywhere except schools, courthouses, and public places. He said all things.
Maybe we need to rethink our priorities. We're on this earth to serve God and his people. I am a sinner, but I have accepted His free gift and His redeeming grace. Jesus is the reason for this season.
DavidMonday, December 10, 2007
Why Home Team?
"Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 2:42
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