|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| Passing It OnIf one is familiar with the geography of Israel, one will know
that there are two major bodies of water bordering the eastern
boundary. The Sea of Galilee lies in the northeast, and the Jordan
River flows from it southward into the Dead Sea. Recall that some of
Jesus' disciples were fishermen at the Sea of Galilee. Even today, the
area is an ideal location for fishing, as it is one of the most
beautiful freshwater lakes in the world. The lands around the lake are
very alive and rich. On the other hand, the Dead Sea can be described
merely by its name. Fish cannot survive in its waters and the land
around is desolate and dry. Being the lowest elevation point on earth
and containing the highest natural salt concentration, this unique body
of water has created much talk by slowly shrinking over the years.
Within these two bodies of water, a lesson can be discovered.
The Sea of Galilee gets its water from the Lebanese mountains to
the north, and in turn it passes water into the Jordan River. The Dead
Sea receives water from the Jordan River, but the water stays there.
The Sea of Galilee remains an abundant fishing site, but the Dead Sea
is constantly drying up. Evaporation is the only way water escapes
from the Dead Sea, so its salt intake is continuously increasing,
making it increasingly difficult for life to survive.
The Sea of Galilee should be the example to follow. God has given
us so much gifts and talents, and our response should be to pass them
on. We need to serve those around us with what we are given. We love
because God has loved us, and we forgive because God has forgiven us.
Not doing so, in a sense, would equate us with the Dead Sea. | | |
| Waiting Upon the LordThere was once a husband who had a wife. However, their relationship
was not solid and the wife told the husband, "I'm busy, so I will
devote 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. to you everyday."
The husband agreed. The next day, he went to work. Although he had a
rough time at work, he was excited at the thought of being able to
converse with his wife.
As they sat down, the wife said: "Oh, you wouldn't believe what
happened today!" And on and on she rambled about her day. The husband
tried to interrupt to tell her what he had to say, but she continued to
rant about her day.
Psalm 139:17-18
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
Many times this is the exact
situation with God. We set up quiet times to fellowship with the
Heavenly Father, but many times we devote that time talking about
ourselves and our needs. There's so much God wants to be able to say to
us, but we keep on talking that there's no room for God to speak.
These verses amaze me. God's thoughts outnumber the grains of sand in
the earth! Imagine all the sandboxes, beaches, and volleyball courts
packed into a big container... and each grain God had something to say
to you.
He might want to tell you how much He loves you. Or there might be
something He is calling you to do. There's just so much he wants to
tell us. But many times we aren't receptive to the things that He has
to say. We need to remember that this is not to us, but for the One in
Heaven.
God Bless,
-The RT
| | |
| RunningI Corinthians 9:24
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
========================================================= In
1953, the New York Giants had a 3-9 record in football and had the
lowest number of points in the league. In 1954, Vince Lombardi joined
the team as the defense coordinator. Within three years, the New York
Giants were a championship team. In each of the five years that he was
with the Giants, they had a winning season. In 1959, he took on the
positition of head coach of the Green Bay Packers. The previous
season, they had one win, but in 1959, Lombardi led them to their first
winning season in twelve years. In 1960, the team was nine yards away
from being being a championship team. Lombardi promised them that they
would never lose another championship game. He was true to his word
when they went on to win five chamiponships in the next seven years.
How did he do it all?
"The difference between a successful person
and others," he said, "is not a lack of strength, not a lack of
knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." He was set on winning the
NFL championship, and he won it.
We
as Christians are set on Jesus. How much more should we strive? Why
should our will be less than the will of any other person if our goal
is so much greater?
It is time that we pursue God with a passion not of this world, and we must run the race with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
It
is granted that things will get in the way, but Lombardi once said,
"Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal." So
don't.
- The Revival Team
| | |
| Prayer
There is a song by Casting Crowns called "What If His People Prayed". Here are the lyrics.
What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let Satan have one more
What if the church, for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And stormed Hell's rusty gates
Chorus:
What if His people prayed
And all who bare His name
Would humbly seek His face
And Turn from their own way
And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day
What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do
He said that they would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear
If only we would pray
If My people called by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
If My people called by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
 Many
times we get focused on ourselves and our prayer efforts are not
directed toward God. Rather, we pray about things that will make us
more comfortable or content. I know I have definitely struggled with
this recently. There was an event I wanted to attend but the logistics
of it made it impossible. I kept asking God if somehow He could make it
all work out and I would be able to attend. However now I realize that
God did not want me to attend for a reason. But that's not the point.
Back to prayer...
In the same way, we should be praying for
things that might glorify God. The power of prayer is so strong but
sometimes we forgot how strong it is. We are making a direct dialogue
with God when we pray. The Maker, Redeemer, Healer, and Creator of all
the galaxy is listening to our cries and pleas. So much can happen
through prayer, just as Casting Crowns states. Not only physical lives
might be saved, but also souls could be saved. Relationships with God
begin with prayer and developing this relationship requires even more
prayer.
We need to realize that prayer is not about us. We need
to humble ourselves and realize that this life is not about us, but
about the Heavenly Father. God's Promise has been made. "And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Richard Foster said these words:
"Our prayer efforts are a genuine give and take, a true dialogue with God- and a true struggle."
"We will never have time for prayer- we must MAKE time."
Stop
asking Oprah what to do and remember to pray; Satan wants to do
everything in his power to stop you from doing so. Satan and the gates
of Hell tremble when we call on God. What an amazing God we serve.
God bless,
-The RT
| | |
| Time To ChangeI used to believe that the time for change was when I believed I
was ready to change. For example, I used to think that when you turned
18 and became a legal adult many problems that we struggle with as
teenagers will just disappear. In fact, life might not get easier, but
perhaps it might even get harder.
2Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2
It
is human nature to not want to change for the better: we are naturally
inclined to sin and do things not of God's Word. We think that we can
easily change later just because perhaps we're lazy, or even because
it's comfortable to stay the way you are. But Paul calls us to not
conform to anything worldly, and even of the Church. We should not be
conforming to the church, but rather, as Paul states, to be transformed
by God. That means that our minds should be completely clean after God
has changed us. But God will only transform the ones who will allow Him
to- He will not force Himself upon someone not open to the Heavenly
Father.
When is it time to change? The time is now. Our
problems do not fade when we become legal adults, or have when we have
children, or if we ever marry, or even when we retire from working.
Ask
God that He would bless you with a willingness to be transformed for an
"Extreme Heart Makeover". It all begins with a single prayer. | | |
|
