How's Your Relationship with God? (3)

'...I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' John 5:30 NKJV

Good Morning,

I pray God has been speaking to your hearts about your relationship. It's hard walking this life without doubt and worry sometimes. But the biggest thing to keeping us on track is our daily relationship with Him. This morning we examine the third thing that describes Christ's relationship with the Father, that is obedience. Jesus said: 'As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' Jesus neither considered nor consulted His own will in the matter. Instead He focused like a laser on one thing-doing the will of God, no more and no less. Note the words, 'As I hear.' When you have heard from God the discussion is over; it's time to act. God's not going to change His mind, so you need to start changing yours and 'get with the program.' When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you give up three basic rights: (a) What it will cost you; (b) Where it will take you; (c) The extent to which it will change you. In order to enjoy a relationship with Jesus similar to the one which He had with His Father, that's the price tag! You say, 'That sounds very demanding.' Yes, but it's also very protective. When God told His people to do something, He also told them why: '...that it might go well with you...' (Deuteronomy 5:33, 6:3, 12:28) God's not trying to cramp your style, make your life hard or put you in a straitjacket. He's a Father who wants only the best for His children. Isn't that what every good parent wants? So when you walk in obedience, God's best is what you will get.

How's Your Relationship with God? (2)

'...I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' John 5:30 NKJV

Good Morning,
Continuing this morning with the question: "How's your relationship with God". There are three things that describe Christ's relationship with His Father: intimacy, dependency and obedience. Today let's look at His dependency on God. 'The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.' (John 5:19 NKJV) Jesus knew He couldn't do anything without His Father, so He didn't bother to try. We, on the other hand, sing, 'Without Him I can do nothing,' then go out and act like it all depends on us. If we succeed, we often become so conceited that nobody can stand us. And if we fail, it's usually because we collapsed under the weight of an assignment God didn't give us in the first place. Have you ever wondered why Jesus never struggled with insecurity or battled the fear of failure like we do? Because it never even occurred to Him that He couldn't do something which His Father had already assured Him He could do. When you know you have heard from God you can face any obstacle or enemy with confidence. God will never give you an assignment that does not require His wisdom and undergirding strength. Indeed, every act of God in your life is designed to increase, not decrease, your dependence on Him. You say, 'But I have talent. I can do a lot of things!' Yes, but you can do nothing that matters in God's eyes. So before you begin your day, kneel and pray, 'Lord, I'm counting on You, and I don't have a backup plan!' Have a great day!

How's Your Relationship with God? (1)

'...I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' John 5:30 NKJV

Good Morning,

What a awesome service yesterday! Thanks for responding to the spirits touch. I hope and pray that through this series on Stewardship you will chose to make your life count for Christ in every area, Time, Talent, Spiritual Gifts, and Finances. It will change your life...So how's your relationship with God? The relationship Jesus had with His Father is the kind of relationship that He wants you to have with Him. Three things describe that relationship. For the next few days let's look at each of them: First: Intimacy. Jesus said, 'The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does...' (John 5:20 NIV) You interact with many people throughout the day, but you only share your heart with those you trust, and with whom you have a close relationship. So, how close are you to God right now? Close enough to hear when He speaks to you? Close enough to know when you've said or done something which has grieved Him? Close enough to feel the warmth of His presence? The truth is, you are as close to God right now as you desire to be, decide to be, and discipline yourself to be. Nothing is born unless there is first an act of intimacy between two people, and intimacy is based on one word: 'desire'. How much do you desire God? David said, 'O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You...' (Psalm 63:1 NIV) Do you desire His house? 'They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights.' (Psalm 36:8 NIV) Do you desire His Word? 'I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.' (Job 23:12 NIV) I hope you are chosing Intimacy its always the first step....

More Than Conquerors (2)

'...who always leads us in triumph in Christ...' 2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

Good Morning,

We are continuing on with being more than conquerors. In life there many things we will have to overcome and one of these your family environment. None of us come from an ideal family. Many will experience things like rejection; physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse; poverty; rage; drug addiction; alcoholism; divorce etc. Years later we still struggle with things like low self-worth, marital failure, loneliness, depression, addiction, anxiety, anger control and dysfunctional parenting. But having a bad start doesn't mean you can't have a great finish. Your life today is more than what happened yesterday; it's about what you do with what happened yesterday. Consider Jephthah's family background. He was born to a prostitute, kicked out of the house by his brothers, robbed of his rightful inheritance, disappointed in religious leaders, a refugee and rebel living in a cave (Judges 11). But unbowed, he defied defeat, trained a motley militia of rejects, delivered Israel from their enemies, and made it into faith's hall of fame with Abraham, Moses and David (Hebrews 11). How did he do it? He started where he was, he took what he had, and he did what he could. By faith he seized his God-given opportunity. You are more than the product of your environment. Whatever happened back then, you're now '...a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!' (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) Live in the new and renounce the old! 'He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' (1 John 4:4 NKJV)

More Than Conquerors (1)

'...who always leads us in triumph in Christ...' 2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

Good Morning,

It's always a great day when we wake up and feel like we can conqueror the world. Jesus said, '...Here on earth you will have many trials...' (John 16:33 NLT) Having problems doesn't mean you're a fake, a failure or the focus of God's displeasure. The storm tested both the believer's and the unbeliever's house. (Matthew 7:24-27) But the believer overcame it. So what's God's goal? To make you an over comer, not an escape artist! 'Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.' Yes, God will deliver you but first He will develop you. There are problems you can't avoid and must deal with, such as: Your physical heredity. In a society obsessed with 'looks,' are you unhappy about yours? Feel too tall, too short, unattractive, not athletic; you're apple-shaped, pear-shaped, your nose is all wrong? Got freckles, double chin, protruding ears? Tried to darken it, lighten it, accentuate it, hide it, reduce it, enlarge it, but it never looks the way you wish? Beware of our culture's carnal norms. '...They measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another...without understanding.' (2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV) The Bible points out that 'sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator...[who say], "Stop, You're doing it wrong!"' (Isaiah 45:9 NLT) Look your best, but accept what you can't change. God doesn't make mistakes. Don't be like those 'without understanding.' 'People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) Adopt God's standard, not man's. Start appreciating yourself. Then you can appreciate others.

Faith and Fantasy (2)

'...They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.' Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV

Good Morning,
Thanks team for a wonderful day of Thanksgiving yesterday. The spirit's presence was so sweet. So was the meal we shared after service. Thanks to the Hospitality team and Melissa who made it happen.

Continuing from Friday's devotional Jesus said, 'Ask, and it will be given to you...' (Matthew 7:7 NKJV) But that promise is qualified by this condition: what you're asking for must be in harmony with God's will. (1 John 5:14) When you sign a legal contract you cannot afford to overlook the fine print. And as someone with a dream, you can't afford to overlook reality. If you do, reality will stop you cold in your tracks. When God gives you a dream, He gives you all that's needed to fulfill it. The more unrealistic your dream, the more you'll be tempted to depend upon things you cannot control (such as luck). You must balance the boldness of dreaming with the reality of your situation. Yes, you need to reach far beyond what you think you're capable of, but at the same time base what you do on your strengths and other factors within your control. The more concerned you become with things you can't control, the less you will do to improve the things you can control. And when you do that, you start living in a fantasy world. When God gives you a dream it will play to your strengths. Catherine B. Ahles observed: 'We spend most of our twenties discovering all of the hundreds of things we can be. But as we mature into our thirties, we begin to discover all of the things we will never be. The challenge for us is to reach our forties and beyond and put it all together-to know our capabilities and recognize our limitations-and become the best we can be.' That's all God is asking us to be for HIm...The best we can be!

Faith and Fantasy (1)

'...They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.' Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV

Just a reminder that tonight 11.18 @7pm is our Family Connection @Calvary. Worship, the word, and a special time to give thanks to God for what he's done in your life this year.

Many people have been sold a bill of goods when it comes to dreams. The saying, 'If you believe it, you can achieve it,' is simply not true. Just about every child dreams of being able to fly like a bird but it's not going to happen, no matter how much they imagine it. Ever watch AmericanIdol? Some of the contestants are clueless when it comes to their ability. They sing off key, they screech, they bellow and they howl. And when they're told that they're not good enough by the judges, these wannabe stars throw tantrums and say, 'That's just your opinion. I'm great.' We all need a reality check. Faith is not fantasy. It's not mind over matter. It's not having a lottery mindset. People who think this way believe that if they somehow show up at the right place at the right time and make the right connections, then presto, their fantasy will come true! Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy? But it isn't. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed: 'Shallow men believe in luck...strong men believe in cause and effect.' When God gives you a dream you need faith to bring it to pass. So the question you need to ask yourself is, 'Is my dream from God?' When it is, you'll have the necessary gifts and talents to fulfill it. And what you lack, God will provide in additional relationships and resources. The trouble with chasing a fantasy is that while you're doing it you're not fulfilling the dream God has given you for your life.