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My name is Steve and I am not as good looking as this guy

or as famous as this guy (He doesn't even need a last name, anywhere in the world)

or as rich as this guy

or as powerful as this guy (wouldn't want his job)

or as good a writer as this guy (although I dream of writing books)

and I don't have a huge church like this guy (when you're a preacher that is the picture of success held up for you professionally)

nor am I a musician and activist like this guy (but I sure would love to be musically talented)

and I'm not as athletic as this guy (actually my knees & back hurt & I could stand to lose 25lbs)

As much as I might like to be anyone of those guys, the fact is that I am not. Actually, none of that matters. Who I am in comparison to others is totally unimportant.
What does matter is who I am in the eyes of God. His forgiven and loved child. The other thing that matters is if I am living a life of faithfulness and obedience.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. . . . He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. . . . To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. . . . To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— . . . . He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. . . . Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. . . . To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
Success is measured against only 1 standard. God not men. And God's standard for success is Faithfulness. The overcomer is not the one who conquers all or who does the most. The overcomer is the one who remains faithful to the end.
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8:44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. I believe that this verse points out to us Satan's preferred method of attack in our lives. He lies to us. Big hairy bold lies, little subtle shadings of the truth, and everything in between. We see it plainly in the garden when he talks(lies) to Eve. We see it in the desert when he tempts(by subtly twisting the truth) Jesus. And we see it, when he works through Peter to try to stop Jesus from facing the cross.
Here is my question. What sort of lies do you see Satan using in your life or in the lives of the people around you. Particularly which lies seem to be most believed and cause the most havoc?
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1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Lately God has been challenging me alot about setting my eyes on eternity. Since I have been tormented with these questions, I thought I would pass the torment along.
He has been asking me questions like.
"If you were in Peter's shoes around the campfire would you deny me or be willing to face whatever for me?" "Are you motivated into action by my (God's) calling and approval or by the approval of people?" "Are you looking for your rewards now on this earth or are you anticipating greater rewards in Heaven? "Are you willing to be poor, to be reviled, to face hardship, to be persecuted with a smile and contentment in your heart because you know that great is your reward in heaven?" "Do you really believe in your heart that the verse at the top of this blog is true? Is it gain to die?"
I'm becoming more and more painfully aware of how much of my heart, my mind and even my spirit is tied to now. The apostles and early believers changed the world because their total focus was on the next life and they were willing to sell out in this one. Am I? Are you?
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Did you know that Jesus had three different type of Prayer habits that He used to keep him in touch with the Father?
I didn't either until just recently. Lately, I have been studying the gospels in a new way (for me). Instead of focusing in on a few verses, I have been looking for trends and teaching relating to a specific topic. When I looked at the topic of how Jesus kept in touch with the Father, I was excited to learn about these three types of Prayer habits and see Jesus using them. Here they are.
1. Regular (Daily) Alone time with God Mark 1:35 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. NIV Luke 5:16
16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. NIV This habit of daily prayer is actually the one that is the least clear Biblically. What seems to be clear from these verses is that often (ie. regularly? maybe nearly daily?) Jesus made a point to get by himself with God. From the context of these two passages it would seem that this time of prayer was used to distance himself from the demands and acclaim of people and to reaffirm his commitment to follow God's plan for his life.
2. Ongoing Prayer through the events of the day As he went through life, we see Jesus praying about the things he runs into during the day. He prays in the midst of healing. He prays for the city of Jerusalem. He prays for the disciples. He teaches on prayer. He was ready at any moment to bring that moment's situation before God. ( For a few references check out: Matthew 11:25-30, Luke 10:1-24, John 11:38-44, Luke 13:34-35,John 17)
3. The Prayer Getaway The third habit of Jesus was to get away for an extended time of prayer. I believe this differs from the first habit in both duration and in purpose. Jesus went into the desert for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry. During this time he fasted and prayed and faced temptation. At the end of his ministry he spent an entire night in prayer wrestling with following the will of God all the way to the cross. He went up on a mountain and spent the night in prayer before he made the big decision of who to choose for the 12. Another time, he went up on a mountain and prayed in grief over his cousin John's death. Another time he went up on a mountain and was transfigured in a show of support and strengthening from the father before he entered Jerusalem for the last week of his life. In all of these events we see Jesus at a crossroads of some sort. In each case he retreats for an extended time to be with the Lord and gain guidance and encouragement.
Some Concluding Thoughts So Jesus spent some amount of time alone with God on a regular basis, he interacted with God in the midst of his day, and he sometimes escaped to God for a longer and deeper connection. When I examined my life in comparison, I found that while I worked at the first 2, I rarely or never practiced the third. When crisis and struggle came to me, I just toughed it out. Never thinking it might be something that needed an extended prayer time with God. So now I am working on figuring out how to put Prayer Retreats into my life.
What about you? Are you good at taking the issues of daily life to God right in the moment? What obstacles do you struggle with and what helps you succeed?
Are you good at getting alone time regularly to reestablish your focus on doing God's will? How do you do it?
Do you sometimes "go up on a mountain" for an extended time with God? How do you know when it is needed? What do you focus on throughout the time? Where do you go?
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| Pray in this way: CHRIST’S MODEL PRAYER (MATT. 6:9-13) Praise “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name.”
Speak and sing Praises to the Lord Focus on who he is as revealed in His names and His attributes
Submission “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”
Submit your will to his will. . . daily say “Jesus is Lord.” Ask the Spirit to guide you into His priorities. Seek the Spirit’s counsel on decisions before you, your family, your church, your world. Here is a good place to stop talking and listen.
Request “Give us Today our daily bread.”
Be in the will of God. . . check your requests with kingdom values. Ask, then note when you receive. Be specific . . . be tenacious.
Confession “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Confess your sins. Can’t think of any? Walk back through yesterday and ask the Holy Spirit to convict and teach. Forgive others. Be open to pray for restored relationships within the whole Body of Christ.
Fight the Fight “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Speak against the forces of darkness. Put on the whole armor of God. (see Eph. 6) 1. Belt of Truth 2. Breastplate of righteousness 3. Boots of readiness that come from the Gospel of peace 4. Shield of Faith 5. Helmet of Salvation 6. Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Ask the Spirit to provide moral power against personal sin.
Thanksgiving and Praise “Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen!”
With a Spirit of Thanksgiving, praise Him again for who He is and what He has done. Don’t watch the clock, worship him!
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