I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. (15) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (17) And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.JOHN 2:14-17

Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside.

HOW CAN ONE KNOW DIVINE WILL with all our mind chatter and distractions of the PRESENT WORLD We LIVE?

Very very difficult! it takes tremendous discipline,faith,courage and full submission of the present moment.
Number one rule.........Open your Heart, prepare it to receive w/o unpure thoughts.
Whatever ideas fill the mind, whatever feelings afflict the body,even if the mind should be tormented w/distractions and troubles and the body w/sickness and pain,nevertheless the divine will is always present in the moments of life of the soul and the body. The divine influence alone can sanctify you. It is everything that is good and true in all things and in all things it unites us to GOD,who, being infinite in all perfections,leaves nothing to be desired by the soul.

There is No Solid peace except in Submission to the Divine Action

The soul that does not attach itself solely to the will of GOD will find neither satisfaction nor sanctification i n any other means. No soul can be really nourished,fortified,purified,enriched and sanctified except in fulfilling the duties of the present moment.

We all Need this Constant Reminder-Lord knows I do!

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.
Unknown
 
Please feel free to forward this email to your friends, you can also add us to your contacts and click on not-spam to make sure these inspirational newsletters get to your inbox.
 
 

Facing Resistance to God

Matthew 13:53-58 Additional Scripture Readings: Romans 12:14; 1 Peter 3:15-16 It's tough when the people we love don't respond to the God we love. When we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we want everyone around us to love and follow him just the way we do. The truth is that with parents or husbands or even adult children, instead of interest and response, we may get the hometown treatment. When the subject is faith, resistance comes on strong. We spread the contents of our Christianity on the kitchen table only to receive rolled eyes, uncomfortable sighs and raised eyebrows from those we thought would be most interested. Jesus experienced the same reception when he returned to his hometown of Nazareth. The people there reacted with contempt: "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked (Matthew13:54). "A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home," was Jesus' reply (Matthew 13:57). When we bring the good news of the gospel to our hometowns, we just might get the hometown treatment. But we can be comforted: we aren't alone, GOD will always give us the knowledge and proper timing on many occasions to bring the word to people around us, we just need to be persistent and listen to his cues, don't be demanding just constant and diligent and faithful to his WORD.

When U Feel your Life is Tatered

 Though he had torn the Israelites away from their land, God kept his promise to restore them as a nation and rebuild their temple. Much to everyone's surprise, God compelled a pagan ruler to fulfill his divine design to build his temple.

It may seem that your life is in tatters-all you see is ruins where you once saw progress. You may feel discouraged, but don't give up. God is a builder, and a very creative one at that. Against all odds, he will use kings or commoners to restore your life to his intended design.

Middle age woman its a GOOD THANG!

Today is exactly one month to my 50th birthday! I thought this email i received to day was perfect for this date!!

You Gotta Laugh

Proverbs 31:10-31
Oh, the unique challenges awaiting the woman approaching middle age! Imagine waking up one morning to find your face sort of lying in a pool beside you. Your once tight abs have been replaced with something rather squishy that has to be gathered up (starting somewhere around the knees) and tucked into industrial-strength, control-top pantyhose. Imagine suddenly realizing that your thighs almost create sparks when you walk. Your biceps are so deflated that in a strong breeze you worry that they might actually make a flapping sound. Maybe you don't have to imagine it. Maybe you're living it.
God might have knit these bodies together out of a more "permanent press" kind of fabric. He could have built in a kind of stretch that wouldn't lose its elasticity around middle age. But he didn't. And through our aging and all the challenges we live through, he teaches us what's really important.
The Proverbs 31 "wife of noble character" got in on that teaching. She could "laugh at the days to come" (verse 25). Her future held flabby abs and combustible thighs too. But she could laugh. Why?
The passage describes a woman who seems just about perfect. Many Bible teachers call her the "virtuous woman," and she makes Martha Stewart look like a novice. She keeps her husband happy; she works eagerly; she gets up early and stays up late. She gives to others generously, makes her own clothes, is an eloquent teacher, and her kids love her. A woman like this "who can find," indeed! She is a formidable pattern, an intimidating example.
But look past the outward layer. Look deeper. You'll see a woman of wisdom who fully understood what was really important. She understood what it meant to work hard and to serve God with her whole heart. She understood that everything of consequence was wrapped up in him. Serving others came as a natural extension of serving him.
There's only one metamorphosis that matters-and it will keep every woman eternally beautiful. It's a metamorphosis of the heart. The Scripture says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 ). Having a heart of unselfish service that has been transformed by Christ-that's what's important. And that is what gives us the ability to laugh at the future . . . even if it involves flabby thighs.

Reflection

1. When your attention to appearance gets out of whack and your focus is more on looks than on eternal things, how might "fearing the Lord" turn your focus back to where it needs to be?
2. What are some of the ways the woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 served others?
3. How many different types of people did her daily life and ministry touch? How might you underestimate the many lives you touch each day?

Proverbs 31:25, 30
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come . . . Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.