I have become a fan of the Message bible. I love how it reads. I was listening to an online sermon and the series was ... He started reading from 2 corinthians 8. I loved what he read. As always, I look it up for myself and read it in KJV, NIV and the Message. As I am reading through, the words...Pleading for the Privilege pop off the page. When is the last time we pleaded for the privilege to help?? Here is the set of verses from the message bible.
2 Corinthians 1-4Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.
When is the last time we gave more than we could afford for the cause of Christ and seeing others come to know him? Pressure triggered and unexpected outpouring of generous gifts. I think we all know pressure and this set of verses talks alot about their character. When is the last time your trial exposed your true colors and those colors being pure and generous?? Have any of us ever pleaded for the privilege of helping the poor?
Much later it talks about how this church repsonded the way they did and how we as a the body of Christ could find ourselves responding in the same manner.
5-7This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own idea, and caught us completely off guard. What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. That's what prompted us to ask Titus to bring the relief offering to your attention, so that what was so well begun could be finished up. You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too.
I pray first that we would give ourselves UNRESERVEDLY to God and our leaders. Because then I believe our giving will flow out of the purposes of God working in our lives.
With the economy the way it is. There are those of us that the pressure has caused us to once again focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Christ birth. Others of us, sad to say are still spending more than we have. Buying gifts we can't afford and will be deeper in debt come Janurary. In the next set of verses he uses the word Stimulus and I thought about some others that are counting on a new stimulus package.
8-9I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.
In one stroke he became poor and we became rich. WOW We are rich whether we believe it or not. We have all things in Christ. Every good and perfect gift comes from God. Have you accepted his good and perfect gift???
I will end with this thought. Scripture says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks...I like how this verse ends. Looks like what's in the heart motivates all we do.
10-20So here's what I think: The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.
Do what you can, not what you can't!
Much love and prayers
Merry Christmas!
Stacy
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Don't Diss Me
I wrote this months ago and decided to post it here.
discourage : to deprive of courage or confidence
dishearten :to cause to lose spirit or morale
Disfavor :the state or fact of being no longer favored
The list goes on and on...DIScredit, DISadvantage, DISapproval, DISlike, DIScord, DISsonance, DISdain, DIStraught, DIStrust, DISrespect,DYSfunctional, DISsociate, DISunite, DIScharge, DISmiss...and on and on.
Go ahead and take a look as these meanings.
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm0tdy5jb20=
Dis is more than a prefix for pain it has become a word in our english language. Look at the definition below.
Diss - 1slang : to treat with disrespect or contempt : insult2slang : to find fault with : criticize
Have you ever felt dissed? In one way or another I am sure we all have. You may have even been told you were disliked, disadvantaged or dismissed at one point in your life. Maybe you have been discredited, discouraged or disheartened. Please stick with me, I am not a doctor but I know one and He has a prescription for your pain. If you will take one dose a day I think you will find your way from distrust to trust and from dislike to like. It all starts with maybe an instance or situation. Take one of my life stories...I was about 6 or 7 years old and my grandmother would call me her dumb blonde, now she meant it affectionately, but listen to what I heard and follow my diagnosis and you will see why treatment was needed. Words will mold and shape us, especially when we speak them to ourselves. Words are powerful. She would always love me and hug me. I knew she loved me, but somewhere along the way, I felt very dumb. These words were only compounded when I quit school in the 11th grade to help my family with their finances. I went to work full time. I would hear those words even years later. I was homeschooling my own children and I would hear thoughts like "you can't teach them, you didn't even finish yourself." With the help of a friend that the Lord sent to ENcourage me I went back to school and finished. I was almost 28 years old and I don't listen to those thoughts any longer.
The thoughts were not verbalized until I started speaking the same things to myself. This was one of my first prescriptions I had to take several times a day.
2Corinthians 10: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;)
A stronghold is nothing more than stinking thinking. I had to not only capture every thought before it became something I believed; I had to put truth in its place. Instead of being held captive by your thoughts you should instead hold your thoughts captive. What does Christ have to say about the situation or thought that you are letting hold you?
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
The reason there is a list of things to think on is because it is up to us. We choose to think on the negative things in our lives, world, job or we choose to think on the things listed above. If we are not careful we will add to our discouragement, discontentment, which will lead to dislike, distrust, disrespect and ultimately discord and dissonance. That is why it is so important to take your daily dose of 2Peter 1:5-8.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I think we all need blinders and bridles.
blind·er 1: either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides.
We are not to look at the left or right but straight ahead. Do they have those in my size?? Not only do we need a bridle for our mouth, so it doesn't speak the junk we think, but we need to shield our eyes as well. A thought doesn't become a belief until we allow it to drop from our head to our heart. The physician I have spoke about is God, the reason his word has the cure for what ails us is He is also our creator. The author and finisher of our faith.
I am not going to allow the enemy to DISS me anymore, nor am I going to allow anyone else to do the same. See I have learned it is up to me. I choose what stays a thought and becomes a belief. So do you!
Don't be Dissed anymore- stop finding fault with yourself or others.
Also if I can add one more thought to all the parents that may read this...be careful what you speak over your children. Even the most well intended thing can cause harm if that is all they ever hear and later believe.
I love you all and pray for you all.
discourage : to deprive of courage or confidence
dishearten :to cause to lose spirit or morale
Disfavor :the state or fact of being no longer favored
The list goes on and on...DIScredit, DISadvantage, DISapproval, DISlike, DIScord, DISsonance, DISdain, DIStraught, DIStrust, DISrespect,DYSfunctional, DISsociate, DISunite, DIScharge, DISmiss...and on and on.
Go ahead and take a look as these meanings.
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm0tdy5jb20=
Dis is more than a prefix for pain it has become a word in our english language. Look at the definition below.
Diss - 1slang : to treat with disrespect or contempt : insult2slang : to find fault with : criticize
Have you ever felt dissed? In one way or another I am sure we all have. You may have even been told you were disliked, disadvantaged or dismissed at one point in your life. Maybe you have been discredited, discouraged or disheartened. Please stick with me, I am not a doctor but I know one and He has a prescription for your pain. If you will take one dose a day I think you will find your way from distrust to trust and from dislike to like. It all starts with maybe an instance or situation. Take one of my life stories...I was about 6 or 7 years old and my grandmother would call me her dumb blonde, now she meant it affectionately, but listen to what I heard and follow my diagnosis and you will see why treatment was needed. Words will mold and shape us, especially when we speak them to ourselves. Words are powerful. She would always love me and hug me. I knew she loved me, but somewhere along the way, I felt very dumb. These words were only compounded when I quit school in the 11th grade to help my family with their finances. I went to work full time. I would hear those words even years later. I was homeschooling my own children and I would hear thoughts like "you can't teach them, you didn't even finish yourself." With the help of a friend that the Lord sent to ENcourage me I went back to school and finished. I was almost 28 years old and I don't listen to those thoughts any longer.
The thoughts were not verbalized until I started speaking the same things to myself. This was one of my first prescriptions I had to take several times a day.
2Corinthians 10: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;)
A stronghold is nothing more than stinking thinking. I had to not only capture every thought before it became something I believed; I had to put truth in its place. Instead of being held captive by your thoughts you should instead hold your thoughts captive. What does Christ have to say about the situation or thought that you are letting hold you?
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
The reason there is a list of things to think on is because it is up to us. We choose to think on the negative things in our lives, world, job or we choose to think on the things listed above. If we are not careful we will add to our discouragement, discontentment, which will lead to dislike, distrust, disrespect and ultimately discord and dissonance. That is why it is so important to take your daily dose of 2Peter 1:5-8.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I think we all need blinders and bridles.
blind·er 1: either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides.
We are not to look at the left or right but straight ahead. Do they have those in my size?? Not only do we need a bridle for our mouth, so it doesn't speak the junk we think, but we need to shield our eyes as well. A thought doesn't become a belief until we allow it to drop from our head to our heart. The physician I have spoke about is God, the reason his word has the cure for what ails us is He is also our creator. The author and finisher of our faith.
I am not going to allow the enemy to DISS me anymore, nor am I going to allow anyone else to do the same. See I have learned it is up to me. I choose what stays a thought and becomes a belief. So do you!
Don't be Dissed anymore- stop finding fault with yourself or others.
Also if I can add one more thought to all the parents that may read this...be careful what you speak over your children. Even the most well intended thing can cause harm if that is all they ever hear and later believe.
I love you all and pray for you all.
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