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A Work Of Art!

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A Work In His Hands!

What would happen if you really believed that God created you to be His witness, so that you could change this world for His glory?  Would that change the way you live, the things you say and the things you do?  You bet it would and it does!

We are ordinary and this is what allows God to be extraordinary in and through us.  There are social needs all around us crying out for a touch of the supernatural.  There are growing spiritual needs that challenge all of us to be and do more of what we were created for.

God is our Creator and we are His work of art!  God takes what is ordinary, lifeless and often ugly and does what only He can do – turn us into something extraordinary, alive and beautiful.

God is into raising eyebrows and opening people’s mouths.  God is into taking hopeless and turning it into hopeful.  God is into chasing away the darkness with the bright light of His presence.  God is into making death come crashing out of the grave alive and well.

When God steps into our lives, despair, darkness and depression must step out!  What looks like the end to most people, is really just another beginning with God.  You are more than just a work of art, you are a masterpiece.  Stop living in the limitations of man and start living in the grand expectations of Almighty God!

Isaiah 64:8 says: “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Lord,  You created me, formed me from nothing into something.  You redeemed me, took my life of no value and gave it value beyond comprehension.  You took what was dead and made it alive.  Please help me to see, understand, believe and realize that I was created in Christ to do good works that change this world that I live in for Your glory.  Help me to grab hold of what You created me for and to never let go.  May my life lived in submission to You, bring blessing to others and glory to You!

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JOYJOLT!

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Very Cool - Can Even Be A Watch!We look for joy, but can never seem to find it.  If and when we do find it, then we can’t manage to hold onto it.  Joy is that miraculous and fulfilling gift that the Holy Spirit flows into our lives that enables us to face whatever life throws our way with hope, optimism, confidence and excitement.  Joy is that special gift of God that everyone wants, but that so few are willing to really work and live for.

It may be that your biggest problem is not that you are not looking for joy, but that you are looking for joy in all of the wrong places.  We try to find it in our achievements, goals and ambitions, but no matter how hard we try or what we accomplish, it just never seems to be there.  We often look to others and what they do for us or what they do not do to us for our joy, but this often leaves us worse off than when we began.  We sometimes even look deep within ourselves, only to discover that this is not the place, even though it sounds good.
Joy is found in one place and one place only.  Joy is found in the presence of God.  Psalm 16:11 says “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  Joy that is bigger, better and stronger than any other thing in your life can only flow from one source and that is the pure source of His presence.  If you want joy that will allow you to face and overcome even the worst that life will throw your way, then you must journey into and learn to stay in His presence.
Sometimes when I am really wanting to show my “mad skills” on the grill, I will take a piece of meat and marinate it in some liquid and spices.  I literally leave the meat in the liquid for a long period of time, so that it can soak up all of the flavor that makes such a difference. In the cooking world this is known as “marinating” the meat.
So Many Options!We need to marinate in God’s joy by living our lives in His presence.  We do this by 1.) Making it a priority to invest time in God’s Word everyday.  One of the tools that I use to help me with this is youversion.com, this online Bible has a whole series of reading plans that help me to get in the Word, stay focused and enjoy His presence.  2.) Worship God Who is more than worthy on a regular basis.  I have an iPod nano that I have programmed with some of my favorite music and I have a section of songs that immediately take me to a place of worship, where I can enjoy sweet communion and fellowship with my Creator.  3.) Spend time in prayer.  This is a great gift that God has given to us, but it is also one of the most unused gifts. Prayer is simply having conversation with God.  It means that we talk and listen.  This conversation is evidence of His presence and joy can’t help but flow through it into and through our lives.
Time spent is God’s Word opens the door for worship.  Real and genuine worship brings us into His presence.  In His presence we have the opportunity for conversation, which will fill out lives with His joy.  Hope you enjoy the joy of His presence today!
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Better Than A Pinky Promise!

Pinky Promise!

What do you want for yourself, for your life?  What does God want for yourself, for your life?  I am discovering that what God wants for me and my life is much better than what I want for myself and my life.  As I look back on my life, I can see where I actually kept getting in the way of what is best.

Look at this amazing passage of Scripture, it says it so beautifully:  “2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4

God wants grace and peace to be multiplied into and through our lives.  It is multiplied as we step out of our own knowledge and into our knowledge of Him and His Son, our Savior.  This allows us to yield to His Spirit and experience His purpose and plan.

His divine power has given us everything we need to live the life of Godliness that He has called us to and created us for, a life of virtue and glory.  When I depend on my power, I rob myself of the opportunity to participate in the divine.

He has given us His exceeding great and precious promises, so that we might be partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that comes from the lust of the world.  We have a choice to make and our choice determines where and how we will live.  Notice, God does not just give us promises, He gives us His exceeding great and precious promises.

God has and wants what is best for us and our lives, lets step out of our selfishness and into His promises – we will be glad we did!