Monday, February 08, 2010
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Dynamite in Life
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
— Acts 1:8
When Alfred Nobel discovered an explosive element that was stronger than anything the world had known at the time, he asked a friend and Greek scholar for a word that conveyed the meaning of explosive power. The Greek word was dunamis, and Nobel named his invention "dynamite."
Dunamis is the same word that Jesus used when He told His disciples, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). In other words, "You shall receive explosive, dynamite power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."
Think about how this power transformed the first-century believers. Prior to Pentecost, Simon Peter couldn't stand up for his faith when strangers asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. After the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost, Peter stood up and boldly preached the gospel, resulting in 3,000 people being saved.
After Saul of Tarsus became a believer on the Damascus Road, God led Ananias to go and pray for him. He was then filled with the Holy Spirit, and from that moment on, he went out and proclaimed Christ in the synagogues.
This power is for a purpose. It is not power to be crazy or power to do weird things. It is power to be a witness . . . power to have the courage to tell someone about Jesus Christ . . . power to tell people about what Jesus has done for you.
Do you have this power in your life? Do you feel like something is lacking in your spiritual walk? Then you, my friend, are a candidate for the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
— Acts 1:8
When Alfred Nobel discovered an explosive element that was stronger than anything the world had known at the time, he asked a friend and Greek scholar for a word that conveyed the meaning of explosive power. The Greek word was dunamis, and Nobel named his invention "dynamite."
Dunamis is the same word that Jesus used when He told His disciples, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). In other words, "You shall receive explosive, dynamite power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."
Think about how this power transformed the first-century believers. Prior to Pentecost, Simon Peter couldn't stand up for his faith when strangers asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. After the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost, Peter stood up and boldly preached the gospel, resulting in 3,000 people being saved.
After Saul of Tarsus became a believer on the Damascus Road, God led Ananias to go and pray for him. He was then filled with the Holy Spirit, and from that moment on, he went out and proclaimed Christ in the synagogues.
This power is for a purpose. It is not power to be crazy or power to do weird things. It is power to be a witness . . . power to have the courage to tell someone about Jesus Christ . . . power to tell people about what Jesus has done for you.
Do you have this power in your life? Do you feel like something is lacking in your spiritual walk? Then you, my friend, are a candidate for the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Persevere Dude!
Ok...This one comes straight from my own journal....I hate this word, because I don't like the process!
"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." – Hebrews 10:36
What's the best thing that has happened to you in the past five years?
If you had a difficult time thinking of any "best" thing, perhaps it is due to faulty perception on your part. Why do I say that? Because God has given you great possibilities! And the secret of living dynamically and effectively is really up to you.
Making confident commitments unlocks the door. It's the starting point. It's where you establish a long-range goal and objectives. Too many people have only a vague notion of what they want to accomplish in their lifetime. Therefore, nothing of real significance ever happens.
If you want to live an exciting, growth-oriented life, you must first establish a firm goal to which you can be confidently committed. Then you must translate that commitment into a series of immediate steps (or objectives), intermediate steps, long-range steps, and ultimate steps.
Once you've done that, then all you need is perseverance. Perseverance is what makes it possible for you to live with a sense of spirit that good things will happen to you!
"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." – Hebrews 10:36
What's the best thing that has happened to you in the past five years?
If you had a difficult time thinking of any "best" thing, perhaps it is due to faulty perception on your part. Why do I say that? Because God has given you great possibilities! And the secret of living dynamically and effectively is really up to you.
Making confident commitments unlocks the door. It's the starting point. It's where you establish a long-range goal and objectives. Too many people have only a vague notion of what they want to accomplish in their lifetime. Therefore, nothing of real significance ever happens.
If you want to live an exciting, growth-oriented life, you must first establish a firm goal to which you can be confidently committed. Then you must translate that commitment into a series of immediate steps (or objectives), intermediate steps, long-range steps, and ultimate steps.
Once you've done that, then all you need is perseverance. Perseverance is what makes it possible for you to live with a sense of spirit that good things will happen to you!
Monday, February 01, 2010
It Takes Courage
Have you noticed that courage seems to be in short supply in this day and age?
I am not talking about the courage, for instance, that it took for some music industry stars to wear such crazy fashion at the Grammys last night! I just don't know what some people think.
Real courage. In the face of danger or barriers kind of courage.
What is courage? According to one definition, courage (also known as bravery, will, and fortitude) is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. "Physical courage" is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship, or threat of death.
We see courage on display every day from our troops defending our freedom overseas, as well as those brave police officers and firefighters that put their lives on the line for us every day.
A few questions
How would you define courage?
Do you think of yourself as courageous?
Can you think of any examples of courage you have seen recently?
Moral courage
But physical courage is not the only kind of courage that exists. There is also moral courage, the ability to do what is right in the face of popular opposition or discouragement.
It takes courage to do the right thing today, to stand up for what the Bible says about right and wrong, good and evil.
It takes courage to live honestly, with integrity, avoiding the "shortcuts" that may get you ahead but take you down spiritually and morally.
It takes courage to honor the vows you made to be faithful to your spouse and stand by them "for better or for worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and health," as opposed to abandoning them when the marriage gets challenging.
It takes courage to remain sexually pure as a single person with all the pressure today from peers and the media.
And it takes courage to follow Jesus Christ, no matter how hard it gets.
I am not talking about the courage, for instance, that it took for some music industry stars to wear such crazy fashion at the Grammys last night! I just don't know what some people think.
Real courage. In the face of danger or barriers kind of courage.
What is courage? According to one definition, courage (also known as bravery, will, and fortitude) is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. "Physical courage" is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship, or threat of death.
We see courage on display every day from our troops defending our freedom overseas, as well as those brave police officers and firefighters that put their lives on the line for us every day.
A few questions
How would you define courage?
Do you think of yourself as courageous?
Can you think of any examples of courage you have seen recently?
Moral courage
But physical courage is not the only kind of courage that exists. There is also moral courage, the ability to do what is right in the face of popular opposition or discouragement.
It takes courage to do the right thing today, to stand up for what the Bible says about right and wrong, good and evil.
It takes courage to live honestly, with integrity, avoiding the "shortcuts" that may get you ahead but take you down spiritually and morally.
It takes courage to honor the vows you made to be faithful to your spouse and stand by them "for better or for worse, for richer and poorer, in sickness and health," as opposed to abandoning them when the marriage gets challenging.
It takes courage to remain sexually pure as a single person with all the pressure today from peers and the media.
And it takes courage to follow Jesus Christ, no matter how hard it gets.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
When Your Dream Becomes Your god
For years I dreamed of speaking at conferences and writing books. And I think both of those desires were God-ordained passions. But they didn't happen for a long time. And I think the main reason is simple: I wanted it for the wrong reasons. I don't think you're ready until you are willing to let the dream die. And when you are willing to let the dream die, God often resurrects it.
I'm certainly not suggesting that my motives are 100% sanctified now. Not there yet. But as I look back and look forward, I realize that many of our dreams never happen for one simple reason. We want it more than we want God. God becomes a means to an end. And our dream, which was meant to be a form of worship to God, becomes our god. This is especially true of pastors. We go into ministry to serve God, but ministry can become a god. Your church becomes your idol. Is your ministry more important to you than God?
God is not a means to your dream. Yes, your God-ordained dreams will never become reality without divine intervention. And God wants it to become reality more than you do. But the dream isn't the end. God is the end.
Is your dream your god? Or is God your God? God will not be used. God will not be manipulated. God will not be played. If you want what God wants for the wrong reasons it won't happen. It's not until you sanctify your motives that God will bless it.
Are you willing to sacrifice Isaac?
I'm certainly not suggesting that my motives are 100% sanctified now. Not there yet. But as I look back and look forward, I realize that many of our dreams never happen for one simple reason. We want it more than we want God. God becomes a means to an end. And our dream, which was meant to be a form of worship to God, becomes our god. This is especially true of pastors. We go into ministry to serve God, but ministry can become a god. Your church becomes your idol. Is your ministry more important to you than God?
God is not a means to your dream. Yes, your God-ordained dreams will never become reality without divine intervention. And God wants it to become reality more than you do. But the dream isn't the end. God is the end.
Is your dream your god? Or is God your God? God will not be used. God will not be manipulated. God will not be played. If you want what God wants for the wrong reasons it won't happen. It's not until you sanctify your motives that God will bless it.
Are you willing to sacrifice Isaac?
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