Set Apart

Who is setting the bar/standards for my life.  God or me?

Here are some Biblical principles to meditate on that can put us on track to living a life set apart to God: (Please Read the verses to support the principle)

·        Being Holy: Be Holy  "Be holy, because I am holy”.(1 Peter 1:16 ).  

                 *Read Colossians Chapter 3 for the Rules for Holy Living  and the Rules for 
                 Christian Households

·        Loving others: Love one another. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (Romans 13:9)

·        Doing good to all people (Galatians 6:10)

·        Going out and making disciples (Matthew 28:19)

·        Knowing Jesus and becoming Like Him (Philippians 3:10-11)

·        Repenting & turning away from sin (2 Timothy 2:19)

·        Honoring God.  Let him who boasts boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31)

·        Honoring one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10)

·        Not repaying evil for evil. Do What is right in the eyes of everybody.

    ( Romans 12:17)

·        The importance of having integrity (1 Chronicles 29:17)

·        Everything is permissible but not everything in beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

·        Whatever you do, do it all  for the Glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31)

·        Standing firm in the faith……Do everything in love. (1Corinthians 16:13 )

·        Not being yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14)

·        No longer living as the “Gentiles” do, in the futility of their thinking. (Ephesians 4:17)

·        Devoting ourselves to prayer ( Colossians 4:2)

·        Living to please God ( 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-12 )

·        Avoiding Gossip (2 Timothy 2:16)

·        The importance of Faith: “and without faith it is impossible to please God.”  

      ( Hebrews 11:6 )

·       Setting ourselves apart to Jesus: “In Your hearts Set apart Christ as Lord”  

     (1 Peter 3:15 )

·        Obeying God’s commands ( 1 John 5:3 )

·        Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength ( Mark 12:30 )

There was a time where I would have said this: 

 “OK that’s enough! I give up! I can’t do this! I am not capable of living up to God’s standards!"

You see there was a time I believed that my standards were preferable to God's. My standards were much easier to live by and didn't require much effort.  There was a time I just wanted to enjoy life and not work to hard at anything. I just wanted to Rock!

Fortunately I made a choice to pursue a deep and personal  relationship with God. I realized as much as I desired to pursue Him, He was trying even harder to pursue me.  When I chose to allow God to minister to my heart I found that this was one

relationship that began to make a real difference in my life.  I now had some direction, some purpose to my daily living. No longer did I daily agonize over my failure to accomplish my personal self- centered agenda. God has given me a gift of real life that centered around his plan and purpose. This new life begins now and extends from the present into eternity. Because of Jesus I have a desire to reevaluate the way I look at the world. I now have a biblical worldview that is 180 degrees different in perspective from the way I used to view life.  I also desire to avoid wasting time on things that have no eternal purpose.  Because I am a work in progress I still find myself falling back into some old patterns every once in a while. The good news is I recognize when it happens and the Holy Spirit is quick to point out that I still have a sin nature.

When I look at the set of standards God desires for me to embrace, I know I need Jesus’ help. In order for me to live a life set apart to God, I have to have the desire to live and walk in His ways.  Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to indwell in us and give us the strength and desire to live as one of His disciples because on my own, due to the old self that can rear its ugly head, I find it difficult to live in obedience to God. With the Holy Spirit as my counselor, teacher and guide, what is unattainable due to self centered desire is now attainable due to the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit helps me put on the new self which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, which is also being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Yet as much as I desire now to live a perfect life, I know only Jesus was able to accomplish that. Jesus fulfilled God’s perfect plan of Salvation through His perfect life and sacrifice. Still, my desire is to please God.

Even though I will never achieve perfection in this life, I must still keep in mind the importance of knowing  that I am always in God’s presence. That means whatever I do, God is fully aware of what is going on in my heart.  And It is my heart that God

is really concerned about.  This means I need to raise the integrity bar in all the areas of my life.  In order to do so I have to know what is important to God. When I study God’s Word I have a road map of great wisdom and instruction I can follow. The list  I made of what God commands and desires for how we should live is just a small portion of what we can find in the Bible.  Genesis to Revelation is filled With God’s incredible teaching and demonstration of love for us.  Some of The most important things to remember are, why God would go to such great lengths to get our attention,  Why Jesus would die for our sins,  Why God created the Universe, the Earth & Man in the first place.  It really comes down to God  wanting to have a personal relationship with each one of us. Originally God had a perfect relationship with man but when sin entered  the world through disobedience, that relationship was broken. The Good News is that God had a plan to restore us back to Himself.

God desires to fill the our lives with His love. He  desires a daily connection with our hearts. He cares about the choices we make and yet freely allows us to make them.  What choice are we going to make today? I would say, Let’s care about what God cares about.  

Let’s look over the list above and see what we can do to raise the bar in all those areas. Let's live for God’s eternal purpose.   

If we truly want to honor God with our lives then let’s start by asking for His help to live according to His ways. I know personally this is one prayer He desires to answer.

……………Just Sayin………………..Dave

Why read a book from the Beginning?

Genesis is a great place to begin a Bible study. I have gotten the answers to the most important questions in life by studying this amazing book.

The Book of Genesis answers the most important questions in life:

·        Who am I?  

·        Why am I here?   

·        Where did here come from?  

·        Why is life so messed up?  

·        Is there a fix for the mess?  

The Purpose Of Genesis:

·        To reveal to man his origin:

               Created by God in the image of God with the understanding of his 

                relationship to God and the universe.

·        To reveal man’s original fall:

               Adam & Eve’s disobedience and rebellion against God’s Command   

               brings about sin & death into the world and the need for a Savior.

·        To reveal the promise of redemption:

               Through the offspring (Jesus) of the woman (Eve) man will be restored 

               back in relationship with God.

·        To record authoritatively God’s choice of individuals and their descendants: 

   God makes sure a record is kept (Genealogy) of the Jewish Line that   

   eventually led to the Birth of the Messiah Jesus. (note: see Genesis 10, 

   Matthew 1:1-17 , Luke 3 )

God created man for the purpose of His desire for love and relationship. 

God’s primary reason for His ordered creation was to give man a place suitable for him to live. He created the earth and everything else to benefit man in every aspect of his existence. ( Read Genesis chapter 1 )

The Key Attributes of God found in Genesis:

·        Love and Grace

Note:  It is very important while you are reading Genesis to ask God to reveal himself to you out of the passage of scripture you are reading.  It is important to see yourself and the world through God’s eyes. Most of the time we see these things through our own eyes.  An important question to ask yourself is:

·        What do I need to do as a result of what I have learned from my reading?

 Examples:

·        How should I view God?

·        How should  I serve God?

·        How should I view others?

God instituted time and the physical laws of the universe as we understand them with the creation of the universe. 

Genesis 1:1 NIV   

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Even though the universe is so vast God ordained that the earth be the central role of importance because it was designed by God to be man’s home.  

The Big Question:

Is the First verse of the Bible true? 

If  not then all of the Bible becomes untrustworthy.  We must understand

That because we believe it is true, we have the foundation for all things that exist along with the foundation for all truth.

We see that God had a purpose for all the things he created.  One thing to notice is that God pays great attention to detail and order.  It is amazing to think how incredibly detailed  God’s design for life is, down to our very own DNA.

How could this design be the cause of random events over time?

After each day of creation God said that what He created was good. Notice after He created man He said that His creation was "Very Good". We see that God does not give us arbitrary moral standards; what He calls “good” is good because it reflects His Holy Character.  God has given us free will to choose what is good or to choose what is evil. Adam and Eve had that choice as well. They were told to not eat from one tree in the garden, the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were warned that if they did, they would surely die. In many ways we are faced with that choice every day.  Because we have God’s Word we have a clear distinction between what God sees as good and what He sees as evil or sin. We are either with God or we are against Him. Think about which master you serve. I have had to ask for forgiveness many times for my choice to serve the wrong master.

Question: 

Why didn’t God just create everything in just one day? (He could have done so seeing the immediate response to His spoken Command on each day of creation.)

Answer:

Each day of creation was special, specific and orderly. We get to see more clearly His glory in more detail as we see Him create over 6 days.  As we spend time thinking about God’s creation we can contemplate His majesty and power and understand 

just how great and sovereign God really is. This picture of God can only help us to understand that we can not reduce Him down to our own desire to create for ourselves a God, that suits our needs and who also has limited power to do what He has promised. Putting God in a box keeps us a prisoner in the box as well.

·        God Created with the utterance of a spoken word.  Now that’s power.

It is interesting to note that the Bible teaches that, at the time of creation, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit were all present And working together.

Examples:

Genesis 1:2 NIV

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

God creates through His Word. “and God said Let there be light”, and there was light. Refer to John 1:1-4. The term “Word” Is used to designate God’s Son – Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-4 NIV    

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Genesis 1:26 NIV  
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

It is interesting to note that in Genesis, the Hebrew the word used for God “Elohim” is plural.  As an interesting side bar, in Deuteronomy we see how in Israel’s great statement of faith, we see the singular Yahweh used with the plural Elohim in a interesting way that suggests the Trinity.

Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV 

Hear, O Israel: The LORD (Yahweh) our God (Elohim), the LORD(Yahweh) is one.  

With His creation, God gave value to all things. Each of us are valuable in God’s eyes and that it why He goes to extremes to get our attention. God has a plan for each of us. We will never know what that plan is unless we spend time with God each day. Many times we ignore God only to act on our own will to further our earthly desires. If we give priority to God in our daily lives, we will learn how to appropriate each of God’s blessings. Why remain in a futile existence when we can experience God’s blessings each and every day.

In Genesis we can see the magnificence of God’s creation down to the very last detail. Don’t you think God cares about every detail of our lives as well? In Genesis we see God speaking life into existence with His Word. God’s Word will also speak life into our existence if we choose to read it and apply it to our lives. When God created  light He separated the light from the darkness. Jesus will do the same for each of us if we follow His ways and if we truly desire for Him to be Lord over our life. 

May I suggest you begin a daily reading of Genesis. While doing so, ask God to help you with those passages of scripture that may be difficult to comprehend or even hard to believe. Then see for yourself how God will respond to your request. I believe He will help you understand in a much  deeper way the meaning of His Word, revealing His Truth about the meaning of your life.

Matthew 7:7-8 New International Version 1984 

Ask, Seek, Knock
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

……………Just Sayin………………..Dave       


                                         

Gods Riches That Lead To The Abundant Life

Without my relationship with Jesus I would be a wreck.  I would not be able to balance my life. It is because of this relationship that  I have with Jesus, I can endure through any circumstance.  Because I know God keeps His promises, the burden I carry is much lighter than ever before. How is this possible?

God has made some great promises to those who have chosen to be followers of Jesus:

In the Book of John Jesus declared:

John 6:35 NIV

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, 

and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 10:27-28 NIV  

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, 

and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

John 14:1-4 NIV

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house 

are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place 

for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to 

be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

John 14:26 NIV

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you 

all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 15:5 NIV

 "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 16:13-15 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; 

he will speak only what he hears,  and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me 

by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. 

That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

John 16:33 NIV

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have 

trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I am always encouraged when I read these verses. Even in my most dire circumstances I am

never alone. In fact, I sometimes feel the presence of God greater in times when I’m hurting or 

confused. When I reach out to God He is always there. He is waiting for me to connect with Him 

in the deepest  and most intimate way. As my heart  and  mind converge into His presence, the fear, hopelessness and despair are no longer the focus of my life.  As Jesus moves in me, I grab hold of the

hope of His promises while my  mind wraps around the depth of His truth. My heart then begins to feel

the awesome power of His love, mercy and grace and I am able to rest and to have peace even when 

the world around me continues to fall apart. I know I have a future. Belief in what Jesus accomplished 

on the Cross, is the strength behind my faith. Believing in God's promises is the security behind my hope.

My relationship with Jesus is preparing me for an eternity with God. And because of Jesus,  I can now

live the abundant life.

Gods Riches that lead to the Abundant Life:

·         Receiving Eternal Life through Jesus’ sacrifice

·         Holy and Blameless in God’s sight

·         Adopted into God’s family

·         Forgiven for our sins

·         Understanding the meaning of our life and purpose

·         Alive in Christ

·         No longer having the need to satisfy our sinful nature

·         The desire to serve and love God

To be fully alive we must appropriate God’s riches.  God’s reason for creating the universe   

in the first place was to give us a home where we could have a personal relationship with Him. 

Everything God created was for the benefit of man which reflects His amazing Glory, magnificence,

creativity and superior intellect. Take notice How God has revealed Himself through His creation from

the tiniest cell to the outstretched vastness of the stars and universe.With that in mind we can see God also

has a greater purpose which includes trusting Him on this incredible journey of life.

Read the first couple of Chapters of Genesis to see what God’s original intention was. God created a magnificent Garden, an incredible  Paradise for man to spend eternity with Him.  With the fall (the disobedience of Adam and Eve), sin entered the world.  Now God’s plan of salvation offers to restore us back to His kingdom. Today, God continues to call us back to Him. Let’s all respond to Him with gratefulness and love.

……………Just Sayin………………..Dave

I Honor You

What does it mean to honor God? 

The reason why I bring this up is because this idea of honoring God sets a high bar on 

how we are to live each day. There is a line from the song “Amazing Love” which says “In all I do I honor you”. I have had many  people come up to me in the past and say that they feel very uncomfortable singing those lyrics.  They feel they can’t honestly say this to God. Can you?  Also, as followers of Jesus,

how many of us can sing the line from that same song "It Is My Joy to honor You". Let’s  take a minute 

to explore  what it means to honor God. 

We honor God: 

By showing Him love and reverence through relationship, worship, service and obedience.

We also honor God by the way we live and represent Him to others.

This is how the dictionary defines honor:

·         High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem   
·         Good name; reputation.
·         Glory or recognition; distinction.
·         A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction 
·         A title conferred for achievement.
·         High rank.
·         The dignity accorded to position  
·         Great privilege

·         Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity

Lets look at what the Bible says about honoring God :

Psalm 22:23 NIV 
You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, 

all you descendants of Israel!

Proverbs 3:9 NIV 
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops;

Proverbs 14:31 NIV 
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the 

needy honors God.

Isaiah 26:13 NIV 
O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor.

Isaiah 29:13 NIV 
The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, 

but their hearts are far from me.Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.   

Malachi 3:16 NIV 
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. 

A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD 

and honored his name.

John 5:23 NIV 
that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son 

does not honor the Father, who sent him.

2 Corinthians 8:19 NIV 
What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

We also honor God by they way we live. God commands us to live a Holy life:

Romans 12:1 NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,  

holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Ephesians 5:3 NIV 
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, 

or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Colossians 3:12 NIV 
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, 

kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 NIV 
that each of you should learn to control his own body  in a way that is holy and honorable,

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NIV 
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

1 Peter 1:15 NIV 
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

1 Peter 1:16 NIV 
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 

I think you all get the idea. If we want to honor God we need to love Him, be obedient to Him, 

serve Him with excellence and pursue holiness in our lives.  As the world watches us we need to remind ourselves  that the way we live can have a great impact on the way people view Christianity and God.   

If we say we are Christians but live in such a way that contradicts our beliefs, what kind of witness to God and the Gospel are we representing to the world.

In the pursuit of holiness we are going to need a lot of help.  The Holy Spirit is our counselor and will provide the wisdom, teaching and strength to live a life set apart to God. The Holy Spirit will help us live in this world, but not be of this world. 

Challenge:

Stay close to God's Word. Take time to pray each day. Pursue counsel and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. 

In doing these disciplines daily, you begin a process that can open your heart and fill your mind with the  desire to honor God.  

I will leave you with this one last verse. Use it as a model for daily living:

Luke 10:27 NIV 
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength 

and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Just Sayin………………..Dave

The Triune Nature of God

Have you ever tried to explain the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity to someone? Does it make sense to you, or do you get more confused trying to explain it? Well I will try to make it simple for you. If someone asks you about it I want you to be able to explain it so at least they see how the 3 persons of the Trinity work together in unity and in purpose.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is something that is hard to fathom due to man’s  limited understanding of our creator. 

God Himself makes clear that we cannot fully understand the mind of God.

Isaiah 55:8-9 New International Version 1984 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Here we go:

God is One God that exists in 3 persons:

·         God The Father

·         God The Son (Jesus)

·         God the Holy Spirit

All 3 persons are fully God, eternal, and  work together with one mind in all things. 

• Throughout the Bible you will see The Father, Son and Holy Spirit working in one mind, Spirit, and purpose, actively playing a role in carrying out the plan of Salvation.

God The Father:  
Active in creation of the universe, all things, devised the Plan of Salvation.
(God spoke the Word that brought into existence all things, the beginning, and our relationship with time.) 

Genesis 1:1-3 New International Version 1984 

The Beginning
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

God The Son (Jesus):   

Active in achieving the plan of Salvation through His death on the cross and
resurrection. Jesus actively reigns over the Church. Also Known as the logos or
the Word. All things were created through Him. Food for thought -
God spoke things into existence and Jesus is the Word.
 

John :1-3 New International Version 1984 

The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

God The Holy Spirit:    
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurs in believers once someone receives Christ 

as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is active in calling people to faith and making 

them increasingly more like Jesus.When we receive Jesus into our life The Holy Spirit 

plays a major role in our sanctification process. When a person is sanctified he or she is 

being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in 

Christ we are also immediately set apart to God and begin the process of being conformed

to the image of Christ. Baptism of The Holy Spirit happens once in a persons life.  This is

permanent. The filling of the Holy Spirit can happen many times and depends on a 

our relationship with Jesus. Sin can hamper us from being filled with the Holy Spirit.

If you need some evidence in the Bible of the Godhead here are some passages to reference:

• Here is a passage in the Bible from Genesis that gives evidence for the Trinity:

Genesis 1:26:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,  and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

• Also notice in this passage from the Gospel Matthew where Jesus was baptized, The Holy Spirit and God are both participants in Jesus’ Baptism by John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:16-17 :

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

•  One of Jesus’ Greatest commands to His followers references of the Trinity:

Matthew 28:19:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

• When the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she would give birth to the Messiah, Jesus, the trinity is referenced:

Luke 1:35:

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

•  Jesus explains in the verse below one of the roles of the Holy Spirit yet also references the Godhead:

John 14:26 New International Version 1984 

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

C.S. Lewis gives us a great analogy for the Trinity:
The three dimensions of space: Length, width and height. All coincide in the same place, yet are distinct.


So the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all distinct yet fully God and have the same attributes, divine nature, and glory. They exist together in perfect harmony with one another. They are co-equal but there is evidence of subordination due to the roles they play. The Father is the head, the Son proceeds from the Father and is subordinate to Him, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and is subordinate to both. So that is why God the Father is referred to as the First Person in the Trinity, Jesus the second, and the Holy Spirit the third.

When explaining the Trinity, it is important to show how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit  have actively worked together to achieve God’s Plan of Salvation. This will help will give others get a better understanding of the relationship between the 3 persons of the Trinity, as well as the depth of  God's love for us. Even with a simple explanation, this relationship is still hard to grasp because of our limited human understanding and perspective. I know many books and articles have been written about this subject.  I suggest we all continue to pursue a deeper understanding of this Godhead relationship. God's Word is living and active and will open doors of greater understanding if we desire it. But most of all we need to focus on our relationship with Jesus. Through Jesus we will learn the truth about all things as well as develop and celebrate the hope we have for all eternity.

Just Sayin………………..Dave

Now That's A Plan

Lately I have been thinking about how God is orchestrating my life. God has opened my eyes with His eternal perspective and I have become aware that I am part of His greater plan and purpose. Because of my new perspective, (the renewing of my mind - Romans 12:2) I  have been able to see the impact of God’s plan in my life unfold right before my very eyes. It seems like everyday I am either hearing a message, reading a verse, or listening to a spiritual song, that speaks to me in a powerful way. These insights I am blessed to receive, either confirm a principle God is teaching me, direct me to to make decisions based on His inspired Word or fill me with hope as I try to navigate through the turbulent waters of this fallen world. 

To gain perspective we must focus on God and not get distracted by the pull of the culture.

Romans 12:2 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Do 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.

What is really mind blowing to me is the timing of God's will and purpose. Each day I anticipate some event or answer to prayer based on the promises of God. I trust God because I have experienced the fulfillment of His promises from the Bible. 

Here are some examples of scripture fulfilled in my life:

 

Jeremiah 29:11-12 New International Version 1984 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Sometimes God allows me to experience difficult circumstances in my  life in order to get my attention. What actually may seem bad on the offset has been beneficial to me because I begin to turn toward God and pray, asking for help, comfort, wisdom, perspective and a change of heart. Also, when God disciplines me, I know it is for His greater purpose. His discipline is good for my character so I will allow a transformation to take place that conforms me to the image of Christ. I think that is a great plan and benefit to me and my family, when I allow for the sanctification process to continue in my life. This is how God strengthens me and helps me flourish. This is how I can live a life set apart to Him. This is what changes me from the inside out. 

Romans 8:28 New International Version 1984

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The above verse from Romans goes along with this verse below from Paul's letter to the Philippians in that 
real life centers around God's good purpose.

Philippians 2:13 New International Version 1984
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
 
We learn God has a good purpose for His followers.

I am encouraged everyday to know no matter what my circumstances God continues
to have a perfect plan for me that fulfills His good purpose. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 New International Version 1984
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

I am also encouraged by this promise to never leave nor forsake me. Since becoming a follower of Jesus I realize that Jesus has paid the price for my salvation and He has guaranteed I will not lose it.

John 10:27-29 New International Version 1984 

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Those who are true followers of Christ are truly saved. We know this because of the way the Holy Spirit

is our constant companion and interacts with us in all areas of our lives. Whether it is for comfort, wisdom, guidance, teaching, reminding us of the things Jesus said, The Holy Spirit makes Himself known to those followers who desire to listen. Even before I became a follower of Jesus, God used His Holy Spirit to soften my heart in order that I would go to church and hear a message about God's Love that forever changed my life. Remember, the Holy Spirit in us is the mark of our salvation.Yet God will also use His Spirit to help guide us to the truth.

Ephesians 1:13-14 New International Version 1984

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory

When I first heard about God's love and truth I couldn't help but desire more of it. You see my whole life has been a journey about discovering real truth. Historically, I literally tried so many avenues of so called spirituality and even existentialism until I came to a dead end and decided that there was only one road left to the travel. That road was the way of the Gospel and it has been the road I have been on ever since. The Good News is that God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, continues to keep me on that road. He will not let me stray too far off or let the bumps in the road keep from continuing on His path for my life. The Holy Spirit gets the credit for my daily discernment and desire for God's truth. I am forever grateful to Jesus for giving me a brand new life and a counselor, the Holy Spirit, who daily speaks into it.

So if the Holy Spirit is evident in your life, be thankful for God's eternal plan. Be thankful that 

you have been saved for a purpose. Be thankful that, even though you have a sin nature, God has freed you 

from the bondage of sin.

In my case I know God is actively involved in my life. If you are experiencing some doubts about your relationship with God ask yourself some questions.

• Is God trying to get my attention?
• Do I sense the Holy Spirit working in my life?
• Are there things in my life separating me from God?
• Am I spending time with God?
• Am I reading and studying His Word?
• Is prayer and important part of my life?
• Do I believe in God's promises?
• Do I trust God and His Word?
• Did Jesus pay the price for my sin or do I still think I have to earn my salvation?

 

The reason for asking yourself these questions is to get you to think about a couple of things.

• Your relationship with God.
• The sin in your life.
• Your understanding of the Holy Spirit's role.
• Your understanding of God's eternal plan
• The importance of prayer and the reading and studying of God's Word.
• The real hope you have In Jesus 
• The purpose for your life.
• The importance of sharing your God story.

Now that’s a lot to think about, so pray first, then ask God to reveal Himself to you like never before.

The truth is God has already been working in your life, and that He has a perfect plan designed to fulfill His greater purpose through you. Remember, God desires for us to have a deep and personal relationship with Him. An authentic relationship with God is the key to having a real abundant life. Abundance is not material, it is an overwhelming sense of God's amazing love and amazing grace that brings about true joy..

God has a plan for our lives. A Plan to give us a hope and a future. When we realize this and receive His offer of salvation we will come to Him in prayer and thanksgiving,  and He will listen,  and He will lead.

My favorite promise is this one:

Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version 1984 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Just Sayin………………………..Dave