Stay united with me, as I will with you – for just as a branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine so you can’t bear fruit apart from me. John 15:4
As Christians, our determination in all things is rooted and sustained by the power of the atonement of the cross of Jesus Christ.
Abiding is not anything Jesus does for us; it is ours to yield into our being. Whatever we do and go through on our journey, we are called to do it all for the glory of God.
Only through abiding in Him and opening our hearts for Him to abide in us can we bring glory to our Heavenly Father. In Oneness with Him, we can do things impossible for man, but so possible for God. Like we can take every thought captive, invite Him to change our hearts, to guard our mouths and invite His strength to bring every area of our life under His mastership. Yes, our lives have many pieces. (more…)
When I was in my early 20’s, I began what became a 5-year career of working for a bank. I began as a teller, but first I was required to go to teller training. This is where we were taught policies, procedures, balancing our drawer and effective ways to communicate with our customers. In addition to learning these very important aspects of banking during our training, we handled a lot of money. (more…)
This post is written by my friend of 20-plus years. He has a heart of passion for others to know the Freedom that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. I am blessed to know him and hope that as you read his words below, you too, will be blessed.
I’m not sure why I felt compelled to share these personal insights, but I KNOW it was what the Spirit Of God, That Dwells Within me, Would have me do. (more…)
After having my coffee this morning, I was standing at my kitchen sink, and I thought of a commercial advertising the Mr. Kleen Magic Eraser. I wondered if this hidden jewel underneath my sink that I was saving for walls might clean a coffee pot. My coffee pot is an automatic percolator made of stainless steel. It doesn’t take long for the oils and stain from coffee to build-up on the inside of the pot and filter basket that holds the coffee grounds. (more…)
And God said, "Let there be light, and there was light."
The Vision
What is your vision? Where does it come from? The Greatest Visionary, our Father in Heaven, had an amazing, out of the box, enormously creative vision. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Later, after He added all we need to sustain life and saw that it was good, God created man from the dust, literally the dirt we walk on every day. He created man in His own image to be in relationship with HIm and to be a mirror, a reflection of who He is and what He is like. Man was not created as a copy, but for the purpose of being in relationship, to reflect and to fill the earth with children, more mirrors. If you hold a diamond up to the light, you will see many beautiful reflections from it’s many facets. This is how we are created, with the thumbprint of God inside us. In essence, God imprinted upon your heart a vision to reflect Him. His purpose for man’s life is to bring that reflection to fullness and completeness through a relationship with Him.
What is it you can do to reflect Him without distortion? Before the fall of man, everything was as God created it, in order and perfection. “God saw all that He had made and it was good.” After the fall, the reflection became broken mirrors, shattered images, distorted. To become whole again, we seek the heart of God.
Where do you seek the heart of God? Are you looking to Jesus, the Son of God, and to the will of God for His life and the gift given to us through the sacrifice of His life? God had a big vision—bigger that we will ever know this side of heaven. His vision is for you to know Him and His heart of love for you, so that you may live out the days of your life on earth being conformed into a being that is reflective of His great love, kindness, compassion and generosity. God’s vision came to fruition in steps. What steps can you take today, the beginning of a New Year, to begin to follow the steps toward the vision God has set for your life?
Sit with God and quietly reflect, ask Him to teach you, to reveal to you the next step of His vision for you. Then trust Him with all your heart, believing He will show you the way. Press on to meet the goal of what before you, leaving behind all the past that gets in the way. Soon, you will find that by taking these steps each day with God leading you, with your eyes fixed on Jesus and your mind and heart set on knowing the heart of Him who created you, you will be living out the vision God placed upon your heart in the beginning, before you were ever born.
Scriptures reflecting these truths
Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:7; Luke 12:6; Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 139:12-14; Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Mark 12:29; John 1:18;
Personal application
God has personally and uniquely designed a vision for you. Maybe you are a gardener who provides flowers or food for the enjoyment or nutrition of others. Perhaps you are an artist, a writer, teacher or an architect using your talents through creating something beautiful from nothing, crafting a story or book from a compilation of words that encourage and inspire others, work with children modeling the love of Christ and teaching preparation for adulthood, or create designs and strategies to bring structure to another’s life. Perhaps you are a mother with small children, spending your time caring for your family and modeling the love of Christ in the training ground for your children.
What ever it is, big or small from your perspective—God’s perception of you and your purpose brings Him great joy, glory and honor. He is not concerned with what you do as much as who you are. What is closest to God’s heart is for us to seek to know His heart above all else.
How will I begin this New Year? In 2012 what changes can I make in myself to become a better reflection?
