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Balanced!

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  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2 Balanced It’s interesting how often we feel that we can somehow defy the natural laws of living a balanced life and still expect to feel good. When you feel the blahs, you need to get in an environment that’s uplifting. Don’t come home from work and sit in a dark house, watch sad movies, listen to sad music, think sad thoughts, eat sad food, and hang around sad people. Open the shades and let some light in. Put on some inspiring music. Go outside and take a walk and get some fresh air. Get some exercise and shake off the sedentary lifestyle. Get your endorphins kicking in. God has put certain hormones in us that give us a boost and make us feel more passionate when we activate them. They help take the negativity away. You need proper sleep, and you need to eat healthy. Practical steps can help keep us being passionate and having the energy and vision that we should. You’re only going to find it wh...
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A New Way of Living!

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  A New Way of Living Scripture: Deuteronomy 17:16 “ But… the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ ” (Deuteronomy 17:16) After the wise men’s encounter with the newborn King, the Lord instructed them to return to their homeland by a different route. Things change when Jesus Christ assumes control of our lives.  We become new creations and are transformed into instruments for service to God. We abandon the old ways of doing things. We no longer try to earn our way to God through works. Instead of living the law of the flesh, we live by the law of faith. We become ambassadors for Christ. As we practice the concepts of  soak ,  sow ,  and  flow    our attitudes, thinking, and behavioral patterns change. The love of Christ compels us to live in harmony with the will of God. Even though we are wasting away outwardly, we discover we are being renewed inwardly daily. As we consider this transformation process, the words of John th...
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Micah2:1-13!

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  Micah 2:1–13 Introduction Micah 2:1–13: Micah describes the punishment that awaits those who abuse their power. The chapter concludes with a promise of hope for those who survive. Today’s Key Verse: Micah 2:13 (GNT) God will open the way for them and lead them out of exile. They will break out of the city gates and go free. Their king, the LORD himself, will lead them out. Read 2  How terrible it will be for those who lie awake and plan evil! When morning comes, as soon as they have the chance, they do the evil they planned.  2  When they want fields, they seize them; when they want houses, they take them. No one’s family or property is safe. 3  And so the Lord says, “I am planning to bring disaster on you, and you will not be able to escape it. You are going to find yourselves in trouble, and then you will not walk so proudly any more.  4  When that time comes, people will use the story about you as an example of disaster, and they will si...
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Keep Moving!

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  Keep Moving! Scripture: Exodus 14:15 “ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. ’” (Exodus 14:15) A paper weight on my desk has the inscription, “Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to it!” In practicing  Kindom  of God, we aggressively look for ways to invest our talents for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. People often make the mistake of waiting for their ship to come in – hoping for something to come their way. Good intentions alone are not enough to accomplish any worthwhile objective. Perhaps the Lord is saying, “Stop waiting for your ship; start swimming!” Someone said it is a lot easier to steer a moving car than one that is standing still. As we participate in worthwhile Kingdom efforts, we can more easily see how the Lord is guiding us to the places where we can be the most productive. We need to be alert to areas in which the Spirit of God is moving and blessing the efforts being made on his behal...
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Micah1:1-16!

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  Introduction Micah 1:1–16: Today we begin reading the book of the prophet Micah. He was from a country town in Judah (also known as the Southern Kingdom) and announced that Judah was about to face a national catastrophe. Amos, a prophet from Israel (the Northern Kingdom), had predicted something similar for that nation (see Amos 2:6—3:2; 6:1–14). Micah’s book is a collection of oracles, and the first chapter begins with a message of doom. The prophet calls upon the people to listen to the Lord. Today’s Key Verse: Micah 1:3 (GNT) The LORD is coming from his holy place; he will come down and walk on the tops of the mountains. Read 1  During the time that Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, the Lord gave this message to Micah, who was from the town of Moresheth. The Lord revealed to Micah all these things about Samaria and Jerusalem. 2  Hear this, all you nations; listen to this, all who live on earth! The Sovereign Lord will testi...
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Where’s Your Permanent Home?

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  Where’s Your Permanent Home? Scripture: Hebrews 11:16 “ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. ” (Hebrews 11:16) Being heavenly minded, but earthly sensitive, is a core principle in practicing  Kingdom  of God. What does that mean? It means that we know we’re passing through this temporary world on the way to our permanent home in heaven. With that in mind, we make choices in light of investing the three Ts –  time, talent, and treasure  – for the advancement of God’s kingdom. Those who came before us did the same thing. Hebrews 11 lists people of faith who, from the beginning of time, chose to listen to God and guided their lives accordingly. The list included Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abram, and Moses. They willingly exchanged many of the temporary pleasures of this world so they could inherit the promises made to them by God. In faith, they looked for...
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Unprecedented Favor!

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  So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people….So make for yourself an ark of cypress wood.” Genesis 6:13–14 Unprecedented Favor Noah heard God say to build a 450-foot long ark, but it didn’t make sense. A flood had never happened before. Noah was undoubtedly the talk of the region. “That crazy fool is spending his life building a gigantic boat. He says God is going to make it rain and cover the earth, but He’s going to spare Noah and his family and two of every kind of animal.” Noah didn’t let the naysayers cause him to doubt. He knew they hadn’t heard what he heard. He just kept building, kept announcing it, kept thanking God for His favor. God is going to put things in your spirit that no one in your family may have ever experienced. When you’re believing for what God has said, the enemy will use people to plant doubt and negativity. “Do you really think that’s possible? I just don’t see how.” Don’t let them talk you out of the healing, promotion, influence, and...
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