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Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

August 7, 2016

Most people have no trouble finding things to complain about: traffic is slow, gas is too expensive, the weather is bad, prices are too high. Yet in every single situation, that same person also has a lot to be thankful for: he can drive, has a car, has a shelter to be protected from the weather, and has the money to purchase necessary items.

Your circumstances may not be all that great, but wherever you are it is God’s will that you give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As a Christian, that is possible because no matter what your circumstances are, you can always thank God for deliverance through Christ (see 2 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 7:24-25).

Indeed, the Israelites knew that thanksgiving was so important that part of the official duty of the tribe of Levi was to thank God: They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:30). They had heart of thankfulness and were instructed to be thankful regardless of what happened that day.

The psalmist wrote: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4). Notice that we can’t even enter God’s gates unless we’re thankful.

It certainly is possible to live giving thanks to God the Father for everything (Ephesians 5:20), because thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, Christian, complain, deliverance, God, heart, Lord, money, possibilities, Praise, problems, thankful, Worship

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Don’t Run From Your Trials

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February 26, 2016

Everyone faces many trials; however, these trials are not in vain. God uses them to do a work in us, developing us into mature Christians.

In James 1:2-4, we are told, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In other words, God uses the tough times in life to sharpen us, making us mature and complete Christians.

Furthermore, God will not permit you to remain in the same trials all of your life; in His proper timing He will deliver you. Psalm 34:17 says, The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

So don’t run from your trials, because the testing of your faith develops you into a mature and complete Christian.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, Christian, deliverance, faith, God, joy, Lord, motivation, peace, perseverance, righteous, strength, trials and tribulations

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The storms of life won’t harm you if you have deep roots in God.

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December 12, 2015

In Matthew 13:3-6, Jesus told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” One point Jesus makes in this parable is that people without deep roots in God will fall away from faith whenever persecution or trials come on account of the word (see Matthew 13:20-21).

Similarly, Jesus encourages his followers to build their house (i.e. their life) on “the rock” (see Matthew 7:24-27). Even though the wind and storms beat against that house, it did not crumble because it was founded on the rock. If you have deep roots in God, your life will be built on the Rock—Christ. As one hymn says, “On Christ alone I stand, all else is sinking sand.”

It is no surprise, then, that Paul encourages believers to be rooted and built up in Christ, strengthened in the faith (Colossians 2:6-7). If you are strengthened in faith, then you won’t crack under the pressure of difficult situations because you will be able to dig deeply into the word of God on which you are firmly grounded. Unfortunately, too many Christians have a cracked foundation.

Make it a priority to have deep roots in God so that you will not wither under the heat of life. Invest time into reading and memorizing God’s word, praying, and communing with God. Be rooted in God.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Bible, Christ, Christians, God, Jesus, persecution, praying, Rock, Scriptures, storm, strength, trials

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Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

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November 26, 2015

It certainly is possible to live giving thanks to God the Father for everything (Ephesians 5:20), because thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, Christian, complain, deliverance, God, heart, Lord, money, possibilities, Praise, problems, thankful, Worship

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Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

Filed under: Inspirational — 2 Comments

July 31, 2015

It certainly is possible to live giving thanks to God the Father for everything (Ephesians 5:20), because thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, Christian, complain, deliverance, God, heart, Lord, money, possibilities, Praise, problems, thankful, Worship

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Anything you have to hide to do is probably something you shouldn’t be doing at all.

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July 17, 2015

It can be difficult to find people of integrity, because so many people make mediocre compromises. At work, such people take every shortcut possible in order to finish the task as quickly as possible, even though they do a terrible job in the process. At school, mediocre people copy homework from friends and copy essays from the Internet just in order to avoid work while hoping to get a good grade, even though they’re cheating and don’t learn the material.

Unfortunately, many of the people who lack integrity are Christians. Yet, this is clearly not how God wants us to live. He desires that we be people of integrity.

Integrity means doing what is right when no one is looking, and it means going the extra mile, knowing that God sees everything and that what he sees in secret he will reward in the open (Matthew 6:4,6,18). Jesus told his disciples, “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:3).

Whatever you do now, even if it is hidden from others, will be brought out into the open and made public. If you are wondering whether or not to do something, consider whether or not you’d be willing to do it in front of your boss, your teacher, your parents, or your pastor. If you have to hide what you’re doing to feel comfortable, then there’s a good chance you shouldn’t be doing it at all.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, Christians, Disciples, faithful, God, hidden, integrity, Pastor, public, reward, school, teachers, truth

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Every Problem Is An Opportunity To Trust God

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May 30, 2015

We all experience difficulties, problems, and trials throughout life. Usually, we also look for ways to solve those problems. All of the various solutions basically ask one of these two questions: “What can I do to solve this?” Or, “What can God do to solve this?”

In other words, we either try to solve the problem on our own, or we let God solve it. Obviously, it is much wiser to give your problems to God.

Therefore, in the midst of your problem, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Trust God to solve your problems. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4).

During your trials you should frequently quote Psalm 91:2: I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Furthermore, when you’re truly trusting in God, there is nothing to worry about. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1).

Make this your cry: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God“(Psalm 20:7).

Trust the Lord God Almighty in every area of your life, even during problems, because every problem gives you an opportunity to trust God.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Christ, deliverance, disappointments, eternal, God, Jesus, Lord, opportunity, prayer, problems, refuge, sadness, strength, stress, trials, tribulations, worry

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Church works and religious acts do not replace spending personal time with God.

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April 29, 2015

Have you ever found yourself so busy working for God that you neglect to spend time with God?

It can be easy to be deceived into thinking that doing religious works is just as good as spending personal time with God. However, you will not grow spiritually if you don’t spend time with God.

Good works will not get you into Heaven; you must have a personal relationship with Jesus. In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus said, concerning Judgment Day, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Those people thought that because they did good things in the name of Jesus they could get into Heaven. Instead, Jesus surprised them by saying, “I never knew you.”

Therefore, don’t get so caught up in your good works that you forget to know God. Make it your goal to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

If all of your good works have made you so busy that you don’t spend any time with God, then those good works have become bad works, because they are replacing your time with God.

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: baptism, Bible, Christ, church, demons, fasting, God, Heaven, Jesus, miracles, prayer, religion, righteousness, spiritual

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We want God to change our circumstances, but God wants to use our circumstances to change us.

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January 11, 2015

It can be easy to think that God is obligated to make life easy for us and to remove all of our difficult circumstances. But, the truth is that during hard times God is preparing us for greater things. If He removed the difficult circumstances in our lives, we would probably never mature.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” In other words, rejoice in “trials of many kinds”, because they test your faith, which causes you to grow closer to God. Indeed, God assures us that something beneficial can come from the hard times in life.

If you are going through trials now, take hope in the fact that almost everyone in the Bible who did great things for God also had to endure great hardships. For example, in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, Paul recounts many of the difficult circumstances that he had gone through: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”

Clearly, Paul had suffered greatly for the Gospel. However, God used those circumstances to make Paul more mature and to give him a great love for God and for spreading God’s Word. Now, Paul is widely considered the second most important person in the New Testament—behind Jesus, of course. However, we must remember that Paul had to go through many difficult trials. It was those times of testing that caused Paul to grow closer to God, qualifying him to be a great witness for Christ.

This same principle can be seen in almost every other person in the Bible who did great things for God. It was during times of testing that such people developed the strength and character for which we respect them.

Therefore, don’t always beg God to change your circumstances. Instead, view each as an opportunity for God to change you, making you “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Contributed: Christ Notes

Tags: Bible, character, Christ, difficulty, God, important, Jesus, joy, New Testament, Paul, rejoice, strength, suffer, trials, tribulations

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“I Bring You Good Tidings Of Great Joy!”

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December 21, 2014

In a perilous time such as this, where the world is in a turmoil, is war inevitable? There is no guarantee that war will cease, but there is a guarantee that you can have peace in the midst of war. The greatest gift that God has given us, is His son – Jesus. In light of this, amidst all the trials and tribulations of this world, Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33).

As Jesus made His entry into this world, there was a great rejoicing, because the prophesy has been fulfilled. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (St. Luke 2:10-11:14).

As we approach the birth of Jesus, remember that there’s still hope and a future. Jesus came that you will have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Therefore, your enemy has been defeated by the power of Jesus. Remember the reason that Jesus came, that you will have life and have it more abundantly.

By and large, as you go through this season, reflect on Him as a savior who came not only to give you salvation, but to deliver you from all evil.