Daniel 6:28 "So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian."
Daniel prospered in the midst of a ungodly society because he refused to compromise his convictions and dedication to God. The secret to success and promotion is not conforming to the world but standing for God.
To many Christians hide their Christianity like it is something to be ashamed of, while others flaunt it like it is the next great fad. But Christianity is not a thing to be ashamed of nor is it the next fad. Christianity is a life giving relationship with God through his Son, Jesus Christ. That influences and controls every area of the life of believers. No area of life is exempt from the impact that a genuine relationship with God brings.
True Christianity will cause you to go against the flow of ungodliness and stand for righteousness. Because Daniel had a life giving relationship with God, he already knew what he would do, even before he was confronted with being thrown in the lions den. A Christians lifestyle doesn't change with the seasons or circumstances, because our actions are determined by the standard of the word of God.
I believe like King Darius, our world is looking for the reality of the Gospel. They are looking for something that is so real that you and I would be willing to die instead of compromise. When we conform to the world we allow the culture to change us, but when we stand without compromise we position ourselves to be used by God to change the culture and turn it back to God.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Perfection
Psalms 119:96 "Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit."
Perfection is limited by our abilities, but God's commands have no limits because God is limitless. So when when we try to operate out of a spirit of perfection we are doomed to fail. But when we operate out of an obedient spirit to the word of the Lord, we can not fail because the source of our victory is God's ability not ours.
Perfection is limited by our abilities, but God's commands have no limits because God is limitless. So when when we try to operate out of a spirit of perfection we are doomed to fail. But when we operate out of an obedient spirit to the word of the Lord, we can not fail because the source of our victory is God's ability not ours.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Blessed Life
Ezekiel 16:15-19 "But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord."
The children of Israel made the mistake of thinking that their "fame and beauty was their own" and they began to give themselves away to idols and they began to prostitute themselves out to others.
Hear me when I say we are bought with a price, we are not our own. Everything we have comes from God, every good thing belongs to him. We lost ownership of our lives when we accepted Jesus and received the gift of eternal life.(1Corinthians 6:19-20) We are stewards of the gifts and graces of God. We don't have the authority to give our lives or anything in it away to anyone or anything other than to God, for his glory and honor. We were made by him and for him, we exist for the glory of God.
Imagine if you went into work tomorrow and started giving away the supplies and products of your company, what would happen? They would fire you for theft and prosecute you for stealing something that did not belong to you. The Bible is very clear, we have been purchased by God and we do not own our lives. When you give yourself away to the things of this world, you are a thief, a robber and a prostitute.
God desires us to live a "Blessed Life" full of his Glory, but that is only possible when we understand the difference between ownership and stewardship. When a steward acts like a owner, then the owner has no choice but to bring correction and discipline to the steward. Which usually means he takes away what he once had until he can prove that he can be faithful with the owners possessions. Faithfulness is the key to stewardship, it empowers you to be promoted and entrusted with more than you have ever had before. When a steward uses what the owner has given him, to fulfill the will and desires of the owner he is blessed and given even more.
Are you using what you have to do the will of the one who gave it to you? Are you being a faithful steward or are you acting like the owner and giving away what doesn't belong to you?
The children of Israel made the mistake of thinking that their "fame and beauty was their own" and they began to give themselves away to idols and they began to prostitute themselves out to others.
Hear me when I say we are bought with a price, we are not our own. Everything we have comes from God, every good thing belongs to him. We lost ownership of our lives when we accepted Jesus and received the gift of eternal life.(1Corinthians 6:19-20) We are stewards of the gifts and graces of God. We don't have the authority to give our lives or anything in it away to anyone or anything other than to God, for his glory and honor. We were made by him and for him, we exist for the glory of God.
Imagine if you went into work tomorrow and started giving away the supplies and products of your company, what would happen? They would fire you for theft and prosecute you for stealing something that did not belong to you. The Bible is very clear, we have been purchased by God and we do not own our lives. When you give yourself away to the things of this world, you are a thief, a robber and a prostitute.
God desires us to live a "Blessed Life" full of his Glory, but that is only possible when we understand the difference between ownership and stewardship. When a steward acts like a owner, then the owner has no choice but to bring correction and discipline to the steward. Which usually means he takes away what he once had until he can prove that he can be faithful with the owners possessions. Faithfulness is the key to stewardship, it empowers you to be promoted and entrusted with more than you have ever had before. When a steward uses what the owner has given him, to fulfill the will and desires of the owner he is blessed and given even more.
Are you using what you have to do the will of the one who gave it to you? Are you being a faithful steward or are you acting like the owner and giving away what doesn't belong to you?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Enter Into His Promises
Hebrews 4:2-3 "For this good news-that God has prepared this rest-has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest... 6 but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God."
The good news of God word only benefits your life if you believe it and receive it into your heart/life. The children of Israel received the promise of God but it did them no good because they refused to receive it by faith. They continued to walk in disobedience and missed out on the promises of God.
Many today are doing the same thing, we have the promises of God but because of unbelief the promises of God are no good. Without faith it is impossible to activate the supernatural works of God and the proof of faith is obedience, what you believe you will live.
Churches should have lines of people every day at their doors desiring to be anointed with oil and healed of sickness and disease. But many Christians will battle sickness their entire life and never call for the elders of the Church (James 5:14-15) and be anointed with oil. Many Christians battle financial lack their entire lives but they never tithe or give to the local church. (Malachi 3:10) Many Christians struggle with strongholds in their lives and families but they never fast, pray and give asking God for supernatural breakthrough. (Isaiah 58:6-12)
The good news of God's word is available to whosoever will believe. Let's not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us, let's believe and obey the word of God and enter into his promises.
The good news of God word only benefits your life if you believe it and receive it into your heart/life. The children of Israel received the promise of God but it did them no good because they refused to receive it by faith. They continued to walk in disobedience and missed out on the promises of God.
Many today are doing the same thing, we have the promises of God but because of unbelief the promises of God are no good. Without faith it is impossible to activate the supernatural works of God and the proof of faith is obedience, what you believe you will live.
Churches should have lines of people every day at their doors desiring to be anointed with oil and healed of sickness and disease. But many Christians will battle sickness their entire life and never call for the elders of the Church (James 5:14-15) and be anointed with oil. Many Christians battle financial lack their entire lives but they never tithe or give to the local church. (Malachi 3:10) Many Christians struggle with strongholds in their lives and families but they never fast, pray and give asking God for supernatural breakthrough. (Isaiah 58:6-12)
The good news of God's word is available to whosoever will believe. Let's not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone before us, let's believe and obey the word of God and enter into his promises.
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