You are Beautiful – Created in God’s Image!

What is true of Christ is True of You!                   You Need to see yourself the way God sees you. If God says you are a certain way, that’s the way you are, no matter what you feel like, look like, or how others see you. From God’s perspective, you are good news going somewhere […]

loved

Yesterday, over 2 million women marched in America. As I began to research why, my heart broke, and I believe God’s heart breaks too.

Why?

Clearly, many of the ladies that marched are angry, scared, hurting, and wondering what the future holds.

I get it.

The only way to truly face an unknown future, is to first face an unknown God.
future known

His name is Jesus, and He loves you.

His love causes us to rise up and become the people of honor we are created to be: but I have discovered it to be a journey, a process that takes years to begin to understand, as we see things from His perspective, through His Word, not through our pain, and the circumstances of life.

In Christ identity

When you receive Him, He changes You, and redirects our entire life into eternal purpose and direction.

He adopts us into His heavenly family, literally making us royalty, sons and daughters of the most High.

This is the gospel, the good news, the love of God expressed:https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/the-gospel-the-power-of-god/

What is true of Christ is True of You!

beautiful-god-made                 

You need to see yourself the way God sees you.

If God says you are a certain way, that’s the way you are, no matter what you feel like, look like, or how others see you.

From God’s perspective, you are good news going somewhere to happen. You might as well agree with Him, and cheer yourself up in His word.

What is true of Christ is True of You

I have simply listed a couple of Scriptures, and I ask you, to say, out loud, the truth of each one. It will make your day!

salt

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.(Matt. 5:13)

I am the salt of the earth.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  (Matt. 5:14)

I am the light of the world.

Light a Fire

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—(John 1:12)

I am a child of God!

fathers love

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1,5)

I am part  of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(John 15:16)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.

fruit of the spirit

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

I am a slave of righteousness.

righteousness

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.(Romans 6:22)

I am God’s slave.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 6  Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 6  Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”(Rom. 8:14,15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6)

I am a son of God: God is spiritually my Father.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  (Romans 8:17)

I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him.

royalty

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 19  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received you are not your own;from God?  (I Cor.3:16; 6:19)

I am a temple – a dwelling place—of God.  His Spirit and His life dwells in me.

temple

But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.  (I Cor. 6:17)

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  ( 2 Cor 5:17)

I am a new creation.

new creation

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  (2 Cor. 5:18, 19)

I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.   There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  (Gal 3:26, 28)

I am a son of God and one in Christ.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  (Gal. 4:6, 7)

I am an heir of God since I am a son of God.

To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 2  To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 2  To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.  (Eph. 1:1;  1 Cor. 1:2;  Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2)

I am a saint.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Eph. 2:10)

I am God’s workmanship – His handiwork—Born anew in Christ to do His work.masterpiece

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,  (Eph. 2:19)

I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family.

4:1  As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 4:1  As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

I am a prisoner of Christ.

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  (Eph 4:24)

I am righteous and holy.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 6  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6)

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in leaven right now.

citizen

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  (Col. 3:3)

I am hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  (Col. 3:4)

I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life.     

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 4  For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, (Col. 3:12; Thess. 1:4)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved.God is love

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  (I Thess 5:5)

I am a son of light and not of darkness.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts onJesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.  (Heb. 3:1)

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling.

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  (Heb. 3:14)

I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

(I Peter 2:5)

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house.

living stones rough

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9,10)

I am a member  of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession.

royal

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  ( I Peter 2:11)

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (I Peter 5:8)

I am an enemy of the devil.

satan

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  (I John 3:1,2)

I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns.

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.  (I John 5:18)

I am born of God, and the evil one—the devil—cannot touch me.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

(Ex. 3:14; John 8:24,28,58)

I am not the great “I am”

.I Am

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

(I Cor. 15:10)

    …but by the grace of God, I am what I am. beauty

I am good-looking, God says I am beautiful!

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you

So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband

Ps 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

Ps 84:1 ERV Lord All-Powerful, the place where you live is so beautiful!

Ps 84:1 EXB Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], how lovely is your ·Temple [L residence; dwelling place]!

Ps 84:1 NLV

How beautiful are the places where You live, O Lord of all!

Ps 84:1 VOICE

For the worship leader. A song of the sons of Korah accompanied by the harp.

 

How lovely is Your temple, Your dwelling place on earth,

O Eternal One, Commander of heaven’s armies.

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, God Himself lives in You!

You are Beautiful. Loved, Lovely, that makes you Good Looking!

 need-prayer

Prayer Requests: If you or your family need specific prayer for anything, please send us a prayer request. We as a family will pray for you today, and if you would, please let us know the wonderful ways God answers. This is a great encouragement to us

https://chrisaomministries.com/2017/01/20/the-purpose-of-this-blog-2/

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

 

Jesus is the Waymaker!

He is the WayMaker!
way-god

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Is 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

We serve a living God!

Jesus is not only the only way to the Father, He is the waymaker in our lives!

If you are up against an impossible situation, know that He is alive, active, and in love with you!

I heard pastor Caleb Wehrli say in a message one night on ‘expectation’ from:
expectation
2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The promises of God are yes. When God gave them, He backed them up with an oath, and His character. He is holy. He cannot lie. If He said it, He must do it, for His name is at state.

Amen, is our part, where we show that we believe by what we say.

The word ‘Amen’ means, ‘so be it!’.

So, 2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

We face a problem, and we go to God with one of His promises.
victory-promise

God answers in power, and delivers us.

This brings Him glory, as the rest of the verse says: ‘unto the glory of God by us.!’

We bring Him glory, how? When we believe a specific promise from His Word, believe and act upon it, and see His power displayed!

Well, I want to bring Him glory today!

I choose to believe that my Shepherd, King Jesus, is going before me today. Making a way, where there seems to be no way. Rivers in the desert, pathways through the seas of my difficulties, not some day, but this day!

For He is not the God of I was (the past), nor the God of I will be (the future) but His name is I AM, my ever present help in this time of my need, and yours.
I Am

Ps 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Bless the Lord O my soul, for today, this day, God almighty is visiting my house, and loading me, with benefits. How about you?
benifits
Lets Pray:
‘Father, I believe that Jesus is alive in my life, and that He is my Shepherd, and He is Lord! Today, I see You going before me, and making the crooked places straight: You will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3 Thank You Father, that you give me today, the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that again I might know that You, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

I believe that You will load me with benefits today, simply because I believe in You Lord Jesus, for Your name is I AM, my ever-present help in time of need! Thank you again for performing Your Word, and making a way, where there seemed to be no way. AMEN!’

People May Fail you, but Jesus never will!

People may fail you, but Jesus never will!
Chris Karen Walsh's photo.
1 Sam 30: 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
Chris Karen Walsh's photo.
Here, David appeared to have lost it all, his house, family, children, and now, his friends and fellow warriors. So he did what every real leader must do in time of crisis: he strengthened himself in the Lord.
Chris Karen Walsh's photo.
I know I am speaking to someone specifically today. Jesus is reaching out to you today. He has seen your heartbreak, your loss, your pain, the betrayals, and He will strengthen you, today!
Chris Karen Walsh's photo.
Let’s pray:
‘Father, I need you. I have no where else to go. Show me what to do. Strengthen me, and raise me up to fight again, in your name I pray Lord Jesus!’

 

The Ear, the Thumb and the Toe

The ear, the thumb, and the toe:
ear thumb toe
Lev 14: 17 And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering.

When the oil of Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, He clarifies our hearing, our works, and our walk as our steps become ordered of the Lord.

ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
royal

Let’s Pray:
Father, send Holy Spirit to us today. Holy Spirit, cause us to hear clear, work effectively, and walk carefully, following  Jesus, Amen”

ALL God’s Promises are ours!

All God’s promises are ours in Jesus!

Ex 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
eagle
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
royal
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

As I listened one night as pastor Sharon Daugherty preached one night in healing service  at victory.com, she made the statement: “ALL the Promises of God are for us today, Old and New Testament!”

This aligns with:

2 Corinthians 1: (KJV)

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

WOG promise
Well, I like the promises God made through Moses to the children of Israel here. We see that because Jesus, the Israelite, the Messiah, the Christ, was fully accepted by God in His sacrifice upon the cross as an atonement for our sins, that we, beggerly Gentiles, have been grafted into the covenant of God to the Jews, that we have been adopted into His family, full born sons and daughters, by the new birth in our hearts.

John 1:12 (KJV)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We have received Jesus, as Lord and Savior, and God our Father has received us as fully adopted sons and daughters!

royalty

These promises are for us, today, if we would but simply, in childlike faith, believe and receive them:
We are borne on eagles wings and brought to Him, His presence, and His pleasure!
You shall be a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people!
Ye shall be unto Him a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation!
Notice the shift here in tense. In the Old Testament, the promises read: You SHALL be, speaking of a conditional promise, based upon obedience.
Don’t get me wrong, we still need to obey God, but our new covenant is receive by faith, and we receive first, THEN we obey!
Through Jesus, as children of the most high God, it is written:
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
Notice this truth! Not, we SHALL be, rather, we ARE!
Welcome child of God to the chosen generation, placed into the kingdom as a royal priesthood, a member in particular of this holy nation, a precious, unique, separated people unto the most High God!
When this goes off on the inside of you, you will automatically fulfill the rest of the verse, and start thanking and praising Jesus for the incredibly wonderful thing He has done for us!

eagle
Let’s do that right now!
‘Father, I come into your presence, thanking you for your amazing mercy, goodness, and love! Thank you for forgiving, adopting, and embracing me into your kingdom and granting me royal rank, privilege, and blessing in this holy nation, as a citizen of heaven, exercising your authority and honor here in the earth. I thank you Jesus for your sacrifice, and I praise and exalt you for what you did, and continue to do, and my Lord and King. Hallelujah!”

Contractors Bible Study

Contractors Bible Study Breakfast

Lead by Chris Walsh: AOMMinistries

ask0

Tel 918 269 5350, email:chris.aomministries@gmail.com

WHERE: Panera Bread, Tulsa Hills Shopping Center, Olympia Ave, Tulsa, OK

WHEN: Tuesdays, from 7:30AM until 8:30Am

Schedule: 7:30 Introduce yourself, and hand out cards – Network

7:40 Read the Proverb of that day’s date, everyone read a verse or two

8:00 Discuss what God is speaking to you

8:20 Network and make people aware of business opportunities

8:25 Prayer requests

8:30 Dismiss promptly ( You can stay if you like, but people need to go to work)

Four Main Purposes

  1. Fellowship and Networking – Economic Development
  2. Encouragement, Prayer, Support, Equipping, Godly counsel, Wisdom, Accountability
  3. Employment – To deliberately win contracts and create jobs for the next generation.
  4. Commonwealth – To provide ministries through spirit led compassionate acts of Jesus love:

James 1:27 (NKJV)

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Isaiah 58: 12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:
thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations;
and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach,
The restorer of paths to dwell in

 

Format:

We encourage people to read through the Bible each year using whatever yearly Bible reading plan works for them. I use the OneYearBibleOnline, Victory has a good one, YouVersion has one. I encourage people to pick one, and read it.

Couple of years back we all read: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/pdf/Sample_RichestManWhoEverLived.pdf

Great book by Steven K Scott. Great resource. He encourages people to meet and read a chapter of proverbs each day, and discuss it.

Proverbs – Whatever date we meet, we will read the chapter of proverbs from that date.

Discussion: Depending on how many people come, we will either simply go around the table and let everyone share, or if many come, we will break into small groups of 5-6 people, so everyone gets a chance to share.

We will begin promptly at 7:30AM and dismiss at 8:30Am.

If people want to stay, they are free to do so, but many of us gotta get to work.

Finances:

Jesus is to be Lord of this meeting, although I will do what I can to lead it. (Kinda like herding cats).

What this means, is simple: If we decide to do a project together, and we take up an offering together for it, I will provide tax receipts for donors, and make myself accountable for the handling of any money raised, and how it is spent. (full disclosure). If we do some kind of mega-project (which I suspect will probably happen, we serve a big God), we will probably register some sort of entity, form a board etc.

However, since Jesus is Lord of this thing, and I am not, I encourage people going on missions trips, or doing neat things for the kingdom of God to make their needs known. It does not hurt my feelings one bit to help a person get where they need to go in God, and count it an honor to serve them as they go. There is no ‘big I’ and little you in the kingdom of God. We are all loved equally by a holy God.  If someone at our table is doing something for the kingdom of God, give money to them, not to me.

Suggestion: We keep a basic slush fund going to buy anyone that might need it coffee that morning, breakfast, or a tank of gas to get to work. It can be a long wait between checks when you are self-employed.

Tweetable Faith – Christian Quotes and pics

Hi everyone, Over the past years, I have posted thousands of Christian tweets with graphics and encouragement from the Word of God to daily walk with Jesus. As I find time, I am going to upload them here, simply as a ministry resource for Christian leaders in a hurry! Simply highlight the quote, right click on your mouse, copy it, hit your tweet button on Twitter, then right click and ‘paste’ it in your tweet, then right click the pic, and then scroll down to ‘save image as’ and then save it to your pictures folder. On Twitter, click on the camera icon, and it will ask you for a pic. Click the pic, and twitter will add it to your tweet. Feel free to use them as often as you like. I will be adding to this post regularly as time permits, so check back for fresh content.

1.Heaven is better than earth – In Jesus, it is not good-bye, only ‘See you later…’Is 57:1,2

heaven better

2. How does God make the impossible, possible? #FollowJesus

not be might

3. Ps 68:6 God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. #JesusHasAPlaceForYou

bless friends

4.A true leader steps forward in order to face baffling circumstances and complex problems Chambers #ConfrontElephant

elephant in room

5.Trust Jesus, listen to the leadings of Holy Spirit, Walk in His Word!

leadLikeJesus

6.Jesus did not come to make bad people good,nor good people better,He came to MakeDeadPeopleAlive!#UMustBeBornAgain

bornagain

7.A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. – Max Lucado #FollowJesus #Leadership

listen

8.A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity

listen

9.Matthew 21:44And whoever falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces….#FollowJesus

broken

10. Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny. David O. McKay-Your Words actually build what your thoughts design.

words

11.1 Cor 14:13 So anyone who speaks in tongues should pray also for the ability to interpret what has been said.

tonges

12.2 Cor 4:7 We now have this light shining in our hearts…are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure

treasure

13. Forgive,release, forget, and move on…#FollowJesus!

apology

14.1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place

splendor

15. There is grace for your race, walk in His vision, and there is provison…#FollowingJesus

vision

  1. Is 25:6 In Jerusalem,[a] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world
Jerusalem Jesus.jpg
poor made rich
18.Faith creates something out of nothing.. A oldie but goodie,still eternally true today!
create something
19. Grow in His Love: #FollowJesus
grow
20.Faith does not always make things easy, just possible. #FollowJesus
difficult

21.God has not given us a sprit of fear! Be bold! #FollowJesus

boldly

  1. Pr 22:11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend
KingAsAFriend
23.Ps 44:4 You are my King and my God. You command victories!
Victory
24.God is working on it! Trust His Word! #FollowJesus
Stand
25.Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29 NIV (And to obey Him)
choices
26.Be holy, as I am holy! #FollowJesus
sex
27.Job 8:10 He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles
miracles
28.Job 8:8“Just ask the previous generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.
Adams
29.Faith says: I Can! Jesus makes a way! #FollowJesus
I can
30.Jesus Still Speaks! #LetHimLead #FollowJesus
Listen voice
31.Matt 18:3 unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by not enter the kingdom of heaven
children tell truth
32. Thirsty? Sex and relationships cannot fully satisfy….Jesus can!
thirst
33. Ps 68:11 NLT The Lord gives the word, and a great army[b] brings the good news
kingdom
34.It is better to walk alone, than compromise holiness and purity. #FollowJesus
alone
35. Job 37:1 “My heart trembles at this. 2 Listen, listen to the thunder of his voice.#FollowJesus
contrite
36.One for Christian warriors on the battlefields of life. Live Holy, and crush evil…#FollowJesus
warrior
37. The royal law of the Kingdom is love. Makes everything work. #FollowJesus
.faith works by love
38.Best protection in these last days: LOVE TRUTH! #FollowJesus
truth love
39:All religions pray. Are there many paths to God? No! Jesus is the ONLY way!
salvation1
40. It is only impossible until it is done! #FollowJesus
.possible Jesus
41. Jesus is still the reason for the season! GodTheSon! #FollowJesus
 jesus-christmas-tree

42.

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak #FollowJesus
words heart
43:Ps 15:4 but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.#FollowJesus
Keep Your Word
44.Ps 103:20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels,that excel in strength, …hearkening unto the voice of his word#FollowJesus
angel word
45. Red and yellow, black and white,we are precious in His sight! #FollowJesus
Racism
46. Is 66:2“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.
tremble
47. Are you too busy for Him today? #SeekYeFirst #FollowJesus
47.intimate need
48.He is our Creator,and He speaks through Jesus!
sacred voice

49.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends #FollowJesus
warrior sacrifice
50.Holy Spirit reveals God’sWord –
illumination
51.This is the verse given to US founding fathers where we got 3 branches of Government.
save
52. He still speaks! We must Obey, for He is Lord!
obey whatever He says
52. Heaven or Hell? Religion cannot save us, Jesus can! He really loves you!
salvation
53. Too busy for Jesus? Then you are too busy…#SeekHimFirst #FollowJesus
 satanic big book
54. Satan’s unreachable rewards, while he leads you…Need a better Lord? #FollowJesus
LEAD - For God's Sake!
55. God has not given us a spirit of fear, and He never leaves nor forsakes us! #FollowJesus
Light and salvation
56. God still gives grace to the humble….Stay humble before Him! #FollowJesus
.gandalf1
57. He is your glory and lifter of your head! He loves you and He is for you! #ThankJesus
grace and glory

58. Is 48:10

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction #Jesus
diamond
59. He makes everything beautiful in His timing! Be strengthened in Him today! #FollowJesus
wait2
60.Deut 8: 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth
prosperity harvest
61. Remember, in all you do, God sees, He knows..honor Him! #FollowJesus
walk worthy
62. Lk 4:18 he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
 broken hearted
63. The Fantastic adventure of walking with Jesus, in life and life more abundantly! #FollowJesus #Life
faith fantastic
64. GO! It is not a suggestion, but a command! #FollowJesus #ThinkHarvestThoughts
Great commission
65. Humility before God, produces intimacy with Him. Jesus is meek and lowly of heart:#FollowJesus!
Heidi Baker humility
66. In Sports we say TEAM: Together Each Accomplishes More: We need each other, we r the Body of Christ! #FollowJesus
unity mother teresa
67. Jesus is a friend of sinners. He loves people. How about you? #FollowJesus
seek lost
68. Philippians 1:(AKJV)19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit..
Holy Spirit help
69. Truth, known and acted upon, sets free. You are loved, royalty, a child of the King! ..
4 life change to happen, we must apply the power of our identification to Christ @ the specific point of temptation.
70. Satan is the liar and accuser of the brethren – you are a child of the king. #DontGossip #FollowJesus
gossip slither
71. Servanthood is how Jesus acts. Wanna be great? Serve! #RoyalFootWasher #FollowJesus
Leadership Development and Timing!
72. He still gives grace to the humble! Deliberately serve, and He will exalt and promote you! Ps 75:6 #FollowJesus
servant-king
73. Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.Do you believe Jesus? .
Abraham blessing walk
74. We start our day seeking Him, ending our day seeing how He truly led! #FollowJesus #JesusIsLord
direct steps
75.Deut 11:21 to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. Learning to be fully Spirit led!
Days northern lights
76. Jesus said, the works I do,you will do also, and greater works than these shall you do?Are we still doing the works?
greater works
77. Jesus said we will be judged by how well we feed the hungry, thirsty, clothe the naked, visit sick and prisoner. Well?
Matt 25
 78. He did not say it would always be easy, Yet, the Word is clear: GO! Jesus!
follow-me
79.Learn to listen. Opportunity could be knocking at your door very softly. Frank Tyger
god-speak1
80. Either confess and enforce your victory, and take ground, or respond to hells attack… #Faith
faith-speaks1

81.

Child, your strength, passion and determination will not accomplish this, only my Grace will.. 

82.Ps 44:4 You are my King and my God. You command victories! #FollowJesus
victory-cross
83. 2 Cor 4:4 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up…
 never-give-up
84. And so there are walls, so thick only God can take them down. He will, for His Word will manifest in His timing #Forgive
walls
85. Matt 25:Whatever you did to the least of these you did unto me..
giving-worship
86. He supplies, as we follow His lead..#FollowJesus
condition3
87. Use Your Words to Create Beautiful things…Pr 18:21
create1

88. Luke 9:23

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
cross-run
89. Romans 8:13

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live
crucify-the-flesh

90. Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; #FollowJesus
beatle-juice
91. Read your Bible every day, and become noble – Acts 17:11
berean

92. Romans 12:5

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
body-of-jesus
93. You are Jesus child, a member of the church – tougher than Hell! #FollowJesus
build church key
94. Love edifies – builds up. Seek for the good in people today!
gold-not-dirt
95. Let the world know your true love! #FollowJesus #BeAWitness
heart1
96.Tell your friends about Jesus! Share the gospel: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/the-gospel-the-power-of-god/
know-jesus-friends
97. Recognize your struggle produces eternal reward! #FollowJesus
light0
98. Walk in the Word of God today! #HeLeads #FollowJesus
light3
99. Jesus loves Israel – He’s Jewish – Lion of the Tribe of Judah #FollowJesus
lion-israel
100. If you know Him, let His love bring LIFE to Your world #FollowJesus
living-waters

Seeing ourselves as God sees us…Beautiful!

loved

What is true of Christ is True of You!

                 

You Need to see yourself the way God sees you. If God says you are a certain way, that’s the way you are, no matter what you feel like, look like, or how others see you. From God’s perspective, you are good news going somewhere to happen. You might as well agree with Him, and cheer yourself up in His word.

What is true of Christ is True of You

I have simply listed a couple of Scriptures, and I ask you, to say, out loud, the truth of each one. It will make your day!

salt

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.(Matt. 5:13)

I am the salt of the earth.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  (Matt. 5:14)

I am the light of the world.

Light a Fire

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—(John 1:12)

I am a child of God!

fathers love

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1,5)

I am part  of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit–fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.(John 15:16)

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.

fruit of the spirit

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

I am a slave of righteousness.

righteousness

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.(Romans 6:22)

I am God’s slave.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 6  Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 6  Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”(Rom. 8:14,15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6)

I am a son of God: God is spiritually my Father.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  (Romans 8:17)

I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him.

royalty

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 19  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received you are not your own;from God?  (I Cor.3:16; 6:19)

I am a temple – a dwelling place—of God.  His Spirit and His life dwells in me.

temple

But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.  (I Cor. 6:17)

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  ( 2 Cor 5:17)

I am a new creation.

new creation

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  (2 Cor. 5:18, 19)

I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.   There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  (Gal 3:26, 28)

I am a son of God and one in Christ.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  (Gal. 4:6, 7)

I am an heir of God since I am a son of God.

To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 2  To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 2  To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.  (Eph. 1:1;  1 Cor. 1:2;  Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2)

I am a saint.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Eph. 2:10)

I am God’s workmanship – His handiwork—Born anew in Christ to do His work.masterpiece

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,  (Eph. 2:19)

I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family.

4:1  As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 4:1  As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

I am a prisoner of Christ.

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  (Eph 4:24)

I am righteous and holy.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 6  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6)

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in leaven right now.

citizen

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  (Col. 3:3)

I am hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  (Col. 3:4)

I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life.     

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 4  For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, (Col. 3:12; Thess. 1:4)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved.God is love

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  (I Thess 5:5)

I am a son of light and not of darkness.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts onJesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.  (Heb. 3:1)

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling.

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.  (Heb. 3:14)

I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

(I Peter 2:5)

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house.

living stones rough

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9,10)

I am a member  of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession.

royal

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  ( I Peter 2:11)

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (I Peter 5:8)

I am an enemy of the devil.

satan

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  (I John 3:1,2)

I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns.

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.  (I John 5:18)

I am born of God, and the evil one—the devil—cannot touch me.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

(Ex. 3:14; John 8:24,28,58)

I am not the great “I am”

.I Am

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

(I Cor. 15:10)

    …but by the grace of God, I am what I am. beauty

I am good-looking, God says I am beautiful!

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you

So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband

Ps 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!

Ps 84:1 ERV Lord All-Powerful, the place where you live is so beautiful!

Ps 84:1 EXB Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], how lovely is your ·Temple [L residence; dwelling place]!

Ps 84:1 NLV

How beautiful are the places where You live, O Lord of all!

Ps 84:1 VOICE

For the worship leader. A song of the sons of Korah accompanied by the harp.

How lovely is Your temple, Your dwelling place on earth,

O Eternal One, Commander of heaven’s armies.

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit, God Himself lives in You!

You are Beautiful. Loved, Lovely, that makes you Good Looking!

For prayer, comments, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

paypal

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

 

He does the impossible, when we simply play our song!

Grace…

He does the impossible, when we simply play our song!

He does the impossible, when we simply play our song…

Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-painist, was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, the boy slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the Steinway on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing “chopsticks.” The roar of the crowd turned to shouts as hundreds yelled, “Get that boy away from there!” When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Reaching around him from behind, the master began to improvise a countermelody to “Chopsticks.” As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going. Don’t quit, son…don’t stop…don’t stop.”

Today in the Word, Moody Bible Institute, Jan, 1992, p.8

.pianist

Please hear the voice of our Father in this simple story! You are His child, and He has exhorted me to share with you today: “Keep going. Don’t quit my child, don’t stop…don’t stop.”

You are on the right path!

Keep playing your song, no matter how simple, childish, and foolish it might appear to you.

He is the maestro, the master musician, reaching His arms around you, to cause your simple song to become the beautiful melody of grace sung against this tapestry of time, He is making beautiful things through you, today.

Let’s Pray:
“Father, I hear you! I will continue, even though it seems fruitless, pointless, and hopeless. I choose to believe, that You, Almighty Creator of Heaven and of the earth, are singing over me today, making beautiful melodies of Your great love and grace, through my life, as I simply keep moving forward in your calling and gifting. Give me courage, strength, and wisdom, to simply, not give up…in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen!”

Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Night of the Soul

Commitment
Philippians 1:21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus’s last words were, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”
Source Unknown.
Ever notice that to try something out, is easy. To fully commit, and go for it, takes everything you’ve got. Couple of years ago, I experienced a mild stroke driving home from work. Blacked out at the wheel on the highway. Amazingly, I came to on the grassy median between the four lanes. Called my wife, and headed into a walk in clinic to discover what had happened. Blood pressure 200/150 meant I needed some meds, and to make some radical life changes in work, diet, exercise, and had to learn a whole new way of living. For a year or so, I simply worked on getting to the gym four times a week, drinking water instead of soft drinks, energy drinks, and gallons of coffee each day, and to add fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods back into my life, instead of simply driving through whatever was close to the job, and chowing down on the meal deal of the day.
Then, I was introduced to P90X! Thought I would do the 90 day gig with my wife just to humor her, and after a day or two was so sore I could hardly move. Tried to start it again with fresh resolve, but man, that program is tough! So, I sat down, read through the program, bought the vitamins, and recovery drink, and then aggressively decided to nail the diet down. This time, I committed!
Took everything I had, but I finished the 90 days! Lost 40 lbs, and bench pressed 315lbs for the first time in my life. Not bad for a 50 year old man! Ended up doing the program 2 more times over the next year and a half, and even ran a bunch of 5km runs. (Now, 2 years later, I need to get back into it…)
Read this quote today, and thought about my radical commitment to Jesus and His calling upon my life:
Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified. By these signs we know the widespread heritage of suffering.
Oswald Chambers in Christian Discipline.
In this life, there are things we go through that are hard. Yet, when we are strong, they are less difficult..usually.
In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published a revealing study of 413 “famous and exceptionally gifted people” called Cradles of Eminence. They spent years attempting to understand what produced such greatness, what common thread might run through all of these outstanding people’s lives. Surprisingly, the most outstanding fact was that virtually all of them, 392, had to overcome very difficult obstacles in order to become who they were.
Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 134.
Today’s exhortation is for those of us in the fight. Perhaps this is the long dark night of your soul. Today, I am fighting a health challenge and some personal struggles that are excruciating…Yet, I am not dead, therefore I will not quit!
On a wall in his bedroom Charles Spurgeon had a plaque with Isaiah 48:10 on it: “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” “It is no mean thing to be chosen of God,” he wrote. “God’s choice makes chosen men choice men…We are chosen, not in the palace, but in the furnace. In the furnace, beauty is marred, fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is consumed; yet here eternal love reveals its secrets, and declares its choice.”
W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 223.
Are you in the furnace today? The place where all of our vanity, strength, and foolishness gets destroyed in the flames, and what emerges is the pure gold character of a sanctified life, fully committed to Jesus, with power from heaven that clearly demonstrates to all, that Jesus is fully committed to us….
I still drink coffee in the morning. Thought about quitting, but it brings back many good memories on cold mornings before work, where dad and I would take a fresh loaf of bread out of the bread maker, and drink a pot of coffee together, as we headed out the door in the dark before work. Guess I could quit, but I like my coffee. As I looked at my cup, I saw this quote, and it seems to fit my rambling today:
A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.
Mildred Witte Struven, in Bits and Pieces, September 19, 1991, p. 6.
I still remember crossing the Atlantic under sail, aboard a 65 schooner named ‘The Illusion’, when I was 21. We were determined to cross the ocean, fully under sail, and 26 days after leaving Key West, Florida, we heard the welcome sound of ‘land ahoy’ as we approached the Azores islands off of Portugal. As the youngest crew member, I always drew night watch, and so we would set our heading, and under the star lit night, swish through the waves in the darkness. Yet, there would come Venus, the one sailors call ‘the morning star’, in the deepest darkness of the night. When we saw her, we knew that soon, the sky would begin to glow, from black, to deep blue, to orange, before the sunrise lit the horizon each day. I remember the dread, and sense of responsibility that I felt, as I struggled to stay awake, and on course as the safety of the other seven sleeping crew members was in my young hands, and the old saying took on new meaning for me:
‘The hour is always darkest before the dawn..’
I am not sure who I am writing for today, but I know it for someone…Don’t give up on your dream!
Let’s pray:
‘Father, You see us, You know where we are at, and how we feel, and Lord Jesus, You are touched by the feelings of our weaknesses. Yet, You are with us. You will never leave us, nor forsake us. Bring Your encouragement, your gentle whispers to our heart that we so need to hear today, that we, straight as an arrow, would fly true to the mark of the high calling upon our lives, without compromise. Cause us to hear, and do, Your perfect will today, Amen!’