Tag Archives: devotional

Like Father, Like Son

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“Therefore, be Imitators of God, as Dear Children.” Ephesians 5:1

I was pondering the above passage today, in light of receiving recent pictures from my son, Brian, who is now in his 30s, with he and his two boys fishing. fishing 2 

Something he, himself, loved to do with his own father growing up, which is revealed at the end… 

 

He began sharing his passion for fishing with both his children at a very young age, practically before they could walk. 

Here is Brian with his oldest son, Owen, when he was young.  The same son pictured in the first picture above.

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Doesn’t God do the same with us?

The moment we can begin “to understand?” after our New Birth we ARE in a relationship of Father and Son.

He begins to share his heart and passions for us and with us?

As dear children, to imitate means: 1. To use or follow as a model. 2.  To copy the actions, appearance, mannerisms, or speech …

As they grew, I had to smile, for my son’s little guys looked just as he did as he fished with his dad…. “full of wonder”…

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“being taken out of their comfort zone to learn how to handle the hook (scarey)”…

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or to “handle a fish wiggling in their hands” (oh yuk)…

fishing 4

 

how to “face their fears of bringing in the fishes” (oh my)

fishing 7

or to “be still and know” that eventually a fish would bite.  (takes patience you know).  

But my little grandsons did it.  Why? Because their “daddy taught them how” and ” he loved fishing” and his “passion was being shared” with them.

He knew the not-so-pleasant part of fishing, would lead into the good part: the catching of fish!  The joy… the excitement… the wonder… of bringing them in!  (think spiritually of these past few paragraphs now, if you haven’t already…)

“Oh, one is biting! Should we reel the fish in, Daddy?”fishing 6


“Not yet, son, he has to have his hook set in deeper, before we can pull that one in… soon that fish will be ready for drawn in. He’ll struggle somewhat first..this will actually hook him sounder, when he realizes its really of no use. That your passion to hook him is greater than his to pull your string or struggle to get away.”

 

Yes….indeed… let’s look at that simple phrase again:  “Therefore be imitators Of God as dear children.”

fishing 2

Let’s realize the relationship of a child to their father.  We, are God’s, children.  Deeply loved, for ourselves, just as my son loves his sons. But he is showing them HIS WAYS, so they can choose to imitate him or not.

It is said that imitation is the highest, most sincerest form of flattery, so indeed good fathers rejoice that their children learn from them, and follow in their mannerisms, their interests, their principals, etc.

Do you want to make God happy? Most of us would say, YES!!! Of Course!

He is your Father.  So….

Make Him happy, by imitating him!

It makes us Dear, to him! (smile)

fishing 1 (2)

I know this is a simple devotional, but sometimes simple is best. (smile)

Imitate your DADDY, GOD, and give him GREAT JOY!

And He will impart things to you, you never dreamed… just by “watching Him”…observing “His Ways”…seeing how He treats people with love… etc.

The best way to know, how to imitate him, is to KNOW HIM.fishing 3

Know His Words. Listen to His Voice speak to your heart. Spend time quietly with him… as these boys are doing alongside their daddy.

He is continually instructing, and showing you, HOW to do things, if you’ll only pay attention. (smile)

May we ALL be imitators of our wonderful heavenly FATHER!

He is WORTHY of our imitation!

(just wouldn’t be complete wifishing-fishing-2-1thout showing you “the father” above, as “the son“,

for they are ONE.brianfishing-1-1

hmm… does that statement I just made remind you of someone, named Jesus?

…imitating His Father and he is himself God?

You are A PART. And God is “Building To Plan”.

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The Spirit of God revealed something to me the other day, that I would like to share with you.

Imagine yourself walking down the aisle of a building supply store, like a Lowe’s or Home Depot, with me.

We walk up and down rows of lumber, trim boards, screws,  wires, door knobs, gates, and other builders supplies.

The parts, in the builders supply house, are just there.

Stored in groups. In bins.

Just waiting for a master builder… To come and select each item, each part, and choosing that part for his master design.

It is only when the builder is enabled to place each part where he wants it, as His house is being built, according to His design, that the parts can come together to then bring Him glory.

Some parts may never again be seen or known individually, nor will they be grouped any longer with like parts, for they are fitted together for the Masters use, now, with other, completely different parts.

What is seen, is as a glory to Him, and not a glory to any one particular part that He uses. Oh, some may be more visible to others, but still all are fitted together, and it is what is being built up that is seen by men. A Living House. His Habitation.

The parts, in and of themselves, are of value, yes…but not to their “potential”, until they are “done something with”…or used…by the master builder, in accordance to HIS plan.

Now let’s apply this spiritually.

Oh, my friends, it is not about us. It is about the design of God. His plan.

We wait upon the Lord, to take hold of us.

We make ourselves available to him, for Him to lay hold of. He draws from “his supply house”.

We walk not away, once we are placed in the Masters hand, for he Indeed has a plan of how to use us, or we would not have been chosen by him.

Allow him access. Let him show you, where you fit. Don’t try to show him.

You do not see things that would be, or how they should be. When he is able to see the end from the beginning, and what he is been putting together, doesn’t it make sense to cooperate with Him?  To let him LEAD?  to take others from us, and bring others to us in relationship, as He”fits us together”?

I know this is a simple devotional, but my prayer is that someone seeing this, will realize, they are “a part”….and they have a part.  They do have value to the one building his home…made of US. And that God alone gets the glory in the end.

You can be the very best screw, the most conductive wire, or the straightest plank you can be, for His design to be a masterpiece, for the “cooperative and well-made parts may have the visibility, tis true”… Yet, let me assure you this: even if you are a loose screw, don’t get the communications clear on that wire, or are a bit crooked as a plank, the master-builder is the craftsman, and a master at his art, and is able to create a beautiful masterpiece taking all of this into account. He is able to keep that which has been committed onto him against that day. HE WILL USE US ALL! If we will allow ourselves to be used.

When all is completed, you will be fitted together and be for Him a praise and a glory!!

Amen? (Smile)

Be encouraged, the Master Builder is still building, and still looking for those “parts” who are willing to become part of his wonderful plan and design.

Continue to make yourself “available” and do not grow discouraged, if you are still feeling as if “in the bin”, waiting to be drawn out.  He has already “chosen you”. (smile)

Get excited now to see where you will be placed, and if already placed, then BE THE BEST AT BEING YOUR PART (your self using your spiritual gifts and talents), that you can be FOR HIS GLORY! Be the part you are. A final example given by the Spirit of God just now “tickled me”, making me laugh as I share. “A hammer is not the nail. Both are needed to build. One may feel hammered, one may feel he or she is always hammering.  But the Master Builder is DOING IT.” (smile)

And one FINAL question: Imagine yourself a a part, still on the shelf... (undecided of who you want to make yourself available to).   a Builder will eventually grab you to build something he has designed. Who will YOUR Master Builder be? God or Satan? And whose design plan will be be placed into? God’s or Satan’s?  Interesting to ponder, isn’t it.

Written by Elizabeth Norland, November 2012

Our Relationship – A Matter of “Hearing”

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Let’s listen in on a couple “familiar” conversations:

The woman despairs within: “He doesn’t hear me!” And then she says aloud to her husband, totally exasperated: “You’re not hearing me!” And he, frustrated to equal degree as she, gives his emphatic response:  “I hear you! You’re not hearing me!”

Or…

A teenager shouts aloud to his parent, “Quit yelling at me! I heard you the first time! And the parent responds, “If you heard me, the first time, you would have listened to me!”  Then, the teen responds, “Well, you don’t need to keep telling me over and over!” and the parent pleads “Well, if you’d hear me, I wouldn’t have to repeat myself!”     

Now, tell me: What is it that their “not hearing” leads to? What is the “fruit” of it?

Right!  A stalemate!  A breakdown in the communications!  Their “good” relationship comes to a halt!

Neither party is listening to the other, because they both want to be heard!  And if they are not heard, they stop listening to each other!  They “shut off”… and their relationship suffers greatly… intimacy decreases, and maybe even ceases.

Now, let’s look at this in light of Father God, Christ Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit within us who pleads: “He who has ears, let him hear!”

Why does the Lord want us to hear?  Because He wants to have a “good” relationship with us! (smile)

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In the last week, I have been hearing God, in the Word, mention “hearing”. So today, I will speak of some of what He has taught me. Please do read the entire article to get the full impact of the message the Lord wants me to speak, and you TO HEAR. As you read, do not assume anything. Instead try to hear. Truly listen to Him…okay? He may even speak completely different from what I speak, or what you read, for He does that. (smile) Consider this whole thing to be A Matter of Hearing.

Let’s begin:

Most of you are familiar with the parable of the soils that is in Luke 8. The seed is The Word of God, and it falls upon different soils, of heart.  Now, let’s talk about The Matter of Hearing.  First of all, I just want you to glance quickly down upon the words I have bolded from each of the interpretive verses.  From this scan, you will note that they all heard.  Then read back through to get the meaning of Christ’s words.

Luke 8:12-15

King James Version (KJV)

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

These scripture verses emphasize that “the Word WAS HEARD” and yet what was the difference in the listeners to the Word? I venture to say, only one described set of listeners REALLY HEARD.

In the human conversations that I begin this article with, each speaker desired to receive a “certain response” from their listener, to indicate they were really being heard. If they did not receive this “needed response” it was a definite indication to each speaker that their listener wasn’t really HEARING them. Right?

Well, can we suppose it is the same with the Lord ?

From these verses in Luke, we understand our hearing the Lord does not infer to having something “go into” our ears, or even “into” our minds, through the spoken or written Word of God.  Hearing has not even anything to do with “receiving” what “goes in”.  We can hear with our ears, and even nod our head as if receiving, but if we do not have “the heart” to HEAR… the proper heart attitude… we will NOT HEAR. We will not be giving the “response” our Lord is desiring from us hearing Him.

Note Verses 13 and 14; these listeners heard and received, yet likened to soil: they had no root ….or they were choked out.

So they really did not “hear” God. Did they?

So what did they NOT have? What did they lack that would have enabled them to truly “hear”??

According to verse 15, the missing ingredients are: one can be interpreted as “a noble and good heart” as we hear, and the second is in the “keeping it” once we hear.

So now we are at “the heart of the matter” … “the matter of hearing”!

It is our heart that will take what we hear and receive, and cause us to keep it, and to bear fruit, with patience.

So as we look back through the passage, our heart as described these verses, ought to be:

HONEST AND GOOD - OBEDIENT - RESPONSIVE - PATIENT – FRUIT BEARING

Sounds like the ingredients of any “good” relationship, doesn’t it? (smile)

To hear, then, we conclude that we must first set our hearts aright.

An honest and good heart, will “consciously choose” TO HEAR, for we will have a respect and honor for who is speaking. We will have “an attitude” of DESIRE TO HEAR.

Will I choose to hear what God has to say to me, whether by His Spirit or the Written Word, His still small voice within (conscience), or his voice heard through my brothers and sisters?

This is a conscious decision, to be God conscious. To “tune in”…to “want to hear” and to “heed” what we hear…

Let’s look at the verse Luke 11:28,

“But He (Jesus) said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.”

Notice hearing and keeping cannot be separated. If you are not keeping, you are not really truly hearing.

And let’s hear the invitation of Christ in Revelation 3:20,

“Behold, if any man HEAR my voice, AND OPEN the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with me.”

Notice, we have to open ourselves up, which is a heart issue again, in order for Jesus to come in and fellowship with us.

If you close tightly the door of your heart, you close yourself off to hearing.  You leave the door shut to Jesus. Just as we do in human relationships. We can shut Him out, or slam the door in his face if it gets part way open… Yet he continues to speak.

For it says, it is IF we hear, right? So that means he’ll take the initiative TO SPEAK, and once we perceive he IS SPEAKING, we need to “tune in.”  We must want to find his frequency, just as we would tune in a radio station.  If you keep moving the knob fast you will just get a jumbled up mess, and make no sense of anything you hear.  You have to WANT TO HEAR.

Why don’t we hear? Or want to hear?

For we know, deep inside, that hearing and responding DO go together. (smile)

Sometimes we subconsciously think if we don’t hear, we don’t have to heed. Like, if I don’t read this article, I will not be held accountable for what I receive from its words.  Or subconscious reasoning says: If I don’t open up the Bible, I won’t be held accountable for what it says, or… If I don’t attend church meetings, I won’t obey what the Spoken Word declares.

Let’s talk about that.

Does your not hearing this article make it less true? Does your not hearing the word of God, make that much less God’s Will for you? Of course not! It is deception! We deceive ourselves.

The Lord pleads with all of his people… TO HEAR… for the hard-hearted are described in scripture by their curse: “seeing they may not see, hearing they may not understand”…and why Christ spoke in parables. (see Matthew 13:13)

Why will they not hear? It’s because their hearts won’t enable them to hear! Their hearts, neither honest or good, as one who listens.

And yet Jesus gives the invitation to all: “He who has ears, let him hear!”

Jesus declares in the Luke 8:21, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”  . Sounds pretty similar to his words of Luke 11:28 shared earlier, doesn’t it?

Only this time, his words may be interpreted: “We are His Family IF we hear him and if we keep His Word”.  According to these passages, it’s not just if we have heard and received his word, but we must also keep it, to fulfill righteousness…to bear fruit…to please our Lord.

Now let’s take this a step further. Let’s talk relationship.

Do we only hear him? Or do we expect him to hear us?

Back to the relationships described at the beginning.  What did each of them do, when they felt that they were not heard themselves?  Each GAVE UP.  Each HARDENED their heart. Why? Because we all have the need to BE HEARD.  We are created this way. We need to be heard, and we need to hear. This IS relationship, after all.

Is this not also the way of believers with Christ? Do we believe he hasn’t heard US? So we have stopped hearing HIM? Have our hearts gone hard against HIM, because we don’t feel we are heard?

I believe this could very well be.

There is only one thing wrong. Why this is deception. It cannot be true. That is, our thinking that our LORD has not really heard us. God does hear. Why? Because his heart is NOT hard… He is able to respond to us…. He acts and reacts in purest love. He has nothing on his end to prevent his hearing of us.

So then what can we conclude?

We have failed to HEAR HIM.   

Let’s look at HIS HEART, shall we?

I am going to take you to an example from Luke 10:51-56. The people… actually a whole Samaritan village… did not receive Christ, as his disciples went ahead of him to prepare the way, for his coming to them. So his disciples, being appalled at this rejection of Jesus, said. “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” And Jesus replied, with a stern rebuke:“You do not know what manner of spirit you are.”  “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”… and they went to another village.

In today’s interpretation, He was clearly telling them that their mindset/attitude was not of the Holy Spirit! Their hearts hardened when Jesus was NOT HEARD (responded to). But Jesus went on to declare this very important revelation about HIMSELF: “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”…. And they went to another village.

Why was it stressed that they moved on to another village?????

And why do you suppose, this week, the Lord was illuminating that last line to me, amidst all this talk of “hearing”?

Firstly, Jesus wanted His Heart revealed: to save not destroy…and that it was an honest and good heart…toward them. Secondly, it was to show us all: Jesus will not press himself upon those who DO Reject Him… He, instead of trying to convince them TO HEAR HIM, He went on his way to another village!!

So the sober end of this matter of hearing, receiving, and heeding is the fact: WEhave to want to!

Jesus will speak… yet, if we don’t want to hear him, He’ll move on to another.

If a certain Church will not hear, he’ll move on to another.

If a particular missionary compound, will not hear, he’ll move on to another.

If a people group will not hear, he’ll move on to another.

If one of us is given an assignment, and we do not hear (heed it), he’ll move on to give it to another.

Jesus is speaking! He is moving until He finds one who hears! i.e. one who receives his word, and will, and obeys.  Then he will COME IN TO HIM, AND FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM, AND YOU WILL BE HEARD TOO! (Rev 3:20). Relationship will be yours.

SO, IN RESPONSE, WILL YOU HEAR TODAY?

Will you prepare your heart to hear, from this hour forward?

Will you heed and obey, what you hear, when you hear?

It is indeed

A MATTER OF “HEARING”

For us all…

 

 

A Prayer of Response:

Lord God,

Open my ears to hear you… really hear you… that I become more-and-more responsive TO YOU.  Keep on speaking, Lord, until I heed what you say.  Please do not move on. Please know I welcome you, and desire you to keep talking to me.  I ask you to forgive me for closing my ears to so many things you’ve been speaking to me of late.  Open my heart, as I daily open your word and spend time with you. And give me the ability to obey you God.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit, and enable me to hear your still, small voice throughout my day, no matter how busy life is… giving me guidance and comfort.  May your voice become louder, so it drowns out the voices of this world that distract me and turn me from you.  Thank you Jesus, for your blood that washes away all sin. Wash away the hardness of my heart, that has kept me from fully hearing you.  And bring me great grace to respond to you with EARS THAT HEAR. I want to obey and to please you, for I love you Lord, and honor your name and your rightful authority over my life.  May I be ever increasingly God-conscious…that I give you, my Lord, the gift of true love and relationship: EARS THAT HEAR.               

In Jesus Name, Amen        

Written by Elizabeth Norland – 10/27/2012

Defuse or Detonate ?

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Years ago, I was given a brief vision by the Lord. I saw dynamite with the long fuse coming out from it, and a hand reaching down to light the fuse.

Recently the Lord revealed more concerning that which I saw, and I am being released to share it:

As a follower of Christ, you are like an individual stick of dynamite. And some of you are grouped together as a bundle of dynamite. And some bundles of dynamite are strategically placed in vicinity – close enough to ignite one other’s bundles! We are talking serious “explosives” here!!

Now, the warfare is:  Satan wants to “defuse” you. The verb defuse means: to remove a fuse or firing device (from a bomb, for example) or to make a situation less dangerous, harmful, or tense. 

Yet,  God wants to “detonate” you. To detonate means to explode with suddenness and violence…to burst and release energy as through a violent chemical or physical reaction.

Satan will “confuse to defuse.”  He wants you each to doubt what God is doing in you and is able to do through you. (i.e. doubt that your fuse is indeed lit, and that detonation will bring about God’s desired plan for your life.) The enemy desires to bring fear and doubt, which leads to confusion. You lose your spark and you are rendered powerless. Your fuse goes out! But it is all a lie!  God’s hand lit that fuse… if you are IN Jesus Christ your fuse is going …the detonating device is the Spirit of God. Satan can’t win, but he deceives and is deceived.

My perception as I looked upon us believers as the dynamite was that each of us was afraid of the explosion after being lit, and what that might look like.  Almost as if we were fearful of the cost and commitment we knew God was requiring of us to be detonated. God was quick to reassure us all.

Once your fuse was lit, even if it smolders and the burn takes a while to reach the “explosive” - it IS ablaze and “causes the enemy great fear” … (imagine if you will, a stick of dynamite near you, not knowing when it would blow! Yes, it causes the enemy great fear! He is “reacting” even now! Though it appears he is winning the war…all is illusion! Proverbs 21:30 declares: There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.)

“Positioning” of the explosives (God’s people) is vital, and this is in our Commander in Chief’s hands. He is in His Position as Lord of Hosts, and he is working on your placement within His awesome plan.

You see, “Strategic Placement” of the explosives is needed before “detonation”… so that “Divine Purpose” may be achieved. (Scripture that comes to my own mind: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God” Romans 8:14 and “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” I Cor  12:18

Be alert to the fact that this is what God is doing. Be prepared to obey his promptings! Trust the workings of the Spirit within your own heart if you know you are his, even if it may not make sense to you. It is vital to remain flexible and faithful.

I saw that the more sticks of dynamite he was putting together (unity of purpose or unity in proximity), the greater “The IMPACT” from His Detonation and the more harm done to the forces of evil.

 In other words, our unity will mean destruction to our enemy’s plans and advances.

 We will not be overcome with evil, we will overcome evil with good!  Amen?!!

 If we see ourselves as a bundle of explosives, then spiritual leaders and those they lead have equal importance, just different roles. Leadership aids in grouping us together, and binding us together…

 It is an actual detonating device that “sets off” dynamite, which is the Holy Spirit. He will detonate (i.e. bring the explosion of His Spirit to us, the dynamite) when we are in unity with our fuses remaining lit.

 As real dynamite can’t be set off without the detonating device, so too, we can’t be detonated apart from The Spirit of God.

We were lit though, when we came to Christ, by God himself!

YES, He can use you as a single stick of dynamite. But let’s face it, one stick will have to be in a very strategic placement to do serious damage.  And YES, God can do that. And God will do that.

YET, it was my perception, that it is more God’s plan to bring us together, to do REALLY SERIOUS DAMAGE to the enemy’s camp- wherever we are! So become alert to this.

 YOU (meaning everyone who sees this who is In Christ) can do GREAT damage to the enemy lines …. take out bridges, cut off their supplies, starve them out, etc. (This, of course, is referring “to the spiritual realm” … the unseen fight between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness)

 **** WATCH OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER’S FUSES! **** Lest the enemy get close enough to snuff someone’s out that had been lit. (looking after one another and foremost the interests of Christ).

Each of us are exhorted to follow these basic commands from your Commander in Chief, to keep our fuses lit.

 Phil 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

 Phil 2:21 “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”

Let Love Dictate. Love never fails. I am talking love for the Lord and others. The two great commands remain the two great commands !

• Indeed, your fuse may need to be RE-LIT … if you have let it go out (you know if this has happened)…be assured, that this is not a problem at ANY time … just draw near again to Christ.  Get into His Presence and into His Word. Begin to fellowship again with other believers, if you’ve become unbundled from others. That fuse will ignite right back up.

• Leadership be alert for this: … Aid in the repositioning of any individual (stick of dynamite) to another place for its detonation, if you notice its fuse is having trouble continuing burning  (I was picturing a fuse slowly being snuffed out as by lack of oxygen). Each of us must discover our area of gifting and “grace place” (location) where then “grace” (the oxygen) keeps our fuse burning strong.  Someone’s fuse will indeed sputter and go out if they are not operating in their proper place. When in proper placement a fuse will burn strong, and the dynamite will indeed detonate!

This is warfare the army of the Lord is now engaged in: The battle to stay lit, as Satan is trying to defuse us…and our submitting to the headship of Christ, and his authorities over us, to the finding of our proper placement.

Now GET THIS PICTURE:

 Dynamite is strategically placed … to do damage to the enemy’s territory … each stick’s fuse is burning bright .. THE ENEMY WILL FLEE FOR FEAR … lest He be destroyed …

The “detonation” WILL OCCUR … and God’s eternal purposes for the “blast” will be accomplished.

 THIS MEANS WAR! (it was like I heard the words of Petra saying it loudly with zeal :)

Some of us are to be as “guerrillas” … behind “enemy lines” … taking out bridges, cutting off supplies of the “enemy” … a “blast” at a time” … by “dynamite lit for Christ!”

Intimacy and prayer enables us to set our traps, and gives us our strategies of spiritual warfare. Keep communications open!

To close, here are some additional encouraging verses in regard to our being in the army of the Lord.

You will be given your orders.

Prepare your hearts and act now, so you can be detonated.

II Timothy 2: 1-7

You, then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs- he wants to please his commanding officer.

Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown a unless he competes according to the rules.

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

MY Part – HIS Part

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Sometimes, I have discovered, it is beneficial to take a scripture and break it down between what is MY Part  versus what is GOD’S Part of a promise.  When doing this, I came across Psalm 91:14-16, and was desiring to share my LIST of this breakdown, for I believe you will SEE actually that it is GOD who carries us, and who is the strong one.  We can become “comfortable” in depending UPON HIM, and NOT UPON OURSELVES.

Here is the scripture:

Because he has set His Love upon me, therefore, will I deliver him;  I will set him on high, because he has known my name.  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him.  I will be with him in trouble.  I will deliver him, and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

NOW LET US PONDER and SEE from this list,  MY PART  versus  HIS PART:

MY PART

  • Set My Love Upon Him
  • Know His Name
  • Call Upon Him

HIS PART

  • To DELIVER me
  • To RAISE ME UP
  • To ANSWER me
  • To BE WITH ME, giving me His Presence, in trouble.
  • To DELIVER ME  *note this is repeated, emphasizing “over and over” He will deliver.
  • To HONOR me
  • To SATISFY me
  • To GIVE ME LONG LIFE
  • To SHOW ME  HIS SALVATION  (in this life and in the life to come)

NOW,  who has the HARD PART ??  It is GOD, isn’t it.

LOOK AT  ”MY PART” – Not too heavy a yoke, is it?

I think of Jesus’ words also, “Come to Me, ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and burden is light.”

MY PART

  • Come TO HIM
  • Attach myself to Him (as being yoked together, as oxen are, side by side in unity of purpose)
  • Learn OF HIM

HIS PART

  • To CARRY my burden, making it light for me
  • To BEAR the yoke, so the end upon my shoulders is LIGHT and EASY
  • To give me REST

GOD can be counted upon to do His Part, and he is more than ABLE to do His Part.

AND

I can do my part, for I am ABLE to do My Part.

WHO HAS IT HARD?  Neither My BIG GOD, nor me!

IF I WILL BUT EMBRACE, AND DO, MY EASY PART -I WILL SEE GOD COME THROUGH FOR ME!  (smile)

TO CLOSE:

May the REALIZATION that you don’t have to DO HIS PART, bring you to freedom of trust.

May the REALIZATION that HE does require you TO DO your part, bring you to doing that part. Believers are “in covenant” with God, through Christ, and each one of us must perform our part of the promises that they might be fulfilled in our lives.

AND MAY WE SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD!  Amen?!

Your Christian Walk Likened to a Commuter Train

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This YouTube presentation, which I created as it was given me from the Lord, will give you a change of perspective in how to look at your own christian walk. It is likened to a commuter train in so many respects. I admit the presentation is not “exciting” (for it was my first attempt at a youtube), yet I still encourage you to view it in its entirety, for each page is full of revelation that could only be given in “modern day”and “for such a time as this”.  Indeed, the change of perspective it will bring, will give YOU strength in the days ahead in your own Christian walk. Of this, I am confident.

Now, May God grant YOU His Encouragement as You View This:

If this presentation has ministered truth to your own heart, then I ask that you will help me share its message by forwarding this post on to others via email, or embedding the presentation itself into your own facebook page or blog.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Norland, Handmaiden Music