Half-dressed

When you are running low

"...Don't be afraid... For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, 'The jar will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land."

1 Kings 17:13-14

When your energy seems depleted, when your bank account is running low, when your world seems to be falling apart - keep your faith!   God is working, God will supply, God will provide your every need.  He's with you, he will not leave you, he will not let you lose the battles before you.  My friend, he loves you, and when you see this darkness through to the end, to the light ahead, the miracle of the trial and tribulation is going to shine through for you and you will be standing in ah and glory - the glory of God Almighty.

WOW! Prosperity – it’s simple!

“Keep the Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous!”

Joshua 1:8

Now I know why I’ve been in times of lack and emptiness; I followed my own rules and thoughts, as well as doing what the world told me to do, rather than God.  

WOW! This verse really hit me this time.  Prosperity is available to us all, all we have to do is follow God’s rules and commands; meditate and practice his word day and night.  The only thing hard for most of us, is we let our dignity and ego get in our way.  Well, I’m finished.  It’s God or nothing from here on out. 

How about you?  Will you join me in the big step of getting out of ourselves and getting into God?  I hope so, because I know life as we know it now (good or bad) is only on its way to getting absolutely miraculous!!

Your most important characteristics.

“… Because you have spoken empty, false, and delusive words… I am against you, says the Lord God… So I will break down the wall you have daubed with whitewash… so that your foundation will be exposed…” 

-Ezekiel 13: 8, 14

As a child of God, you are called to be truthful, honest, full of integrity and trust.  Sadly, though, many of us who call ourselves Christians aren’t walking with those qualities as foundations to live by.  We’ve let those qualities fall by the wayside. So, if you happen to be one who has let yourself fall back into the world's way of living, and we all fall short at times, then it is time to do some serious inner house cleaning.  

 Therefore, hold yourself accountable and if changes need to be made, then NOW is the time to make them. Yes, get your inner house cleaned from the filth so that the glory of God can refill you with his light; a fresh new start - a fresh new you!

Selfish and empty conceit

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (‭PHILIPPIANS‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ AMP)

God.

Family.

Church.

OTHERS.

Yourself!!

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Life changes for the better

Want prayers answered, want to have a full life during the emptiest of your life’s moments?  Yes?  Then, Isaiah 58 gives us the exact blueprint of just how to go about getting these done.  Read, and then re-read again, paying special attention to the verses highlight.  I know some changes are in store for me and I can’t wait to see how my life changes for the better.  Hopefully, you choose to make changes as well.  I think our lives are only going to get better when we do.

Isaiah 58The Message (MSG)

Your Prayers Won’t Get Off the Ground

58 ^1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout!
    Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives,
    face my family Jacob with their sins!
They’re busy, busy, busy at worship,
    and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people—
    law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’
    and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
    ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way?
    Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’

^3-5 “Well, here’s why:

“The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit.
    You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
    You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
    won’t get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
    and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
    a fast day that I, God, would like?

^6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
    and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
    The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
    firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.

^13-14 “If you watch your step on the Sabbath
    and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
    God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
    making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
    Yes! God says so!

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

No nonsense

“But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.” II Timothy 2:16 AMPC

Empty words only take you down dead-end roads – stay away from them.  Your life is too precious to waste on such nonsense.

When you give thanks.

"... and when He had given thanks... And they all ate and were satisfied..." Matthew 15:36-37 AMP

Until you give all, Thanks, to God for everything and anything good in your life, you will never be fully satisfied.