Category: Sister Judy (Page 269 of 271)

Devotions from The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas

 The Kingdom of God is a corporate call and joint effort. We need one another and “Together we can exercise the weight of God’s power and more properly proclaim God’s authority.

It is impossible to create a fire with one sound log, but several poor logs may make a fire if they stay together as they burn. The miracle of the early church was that of poor sticks making a good fire!! When we come together, something wonderful and inspiring and motivating happens. William Temple said, “It is by the faith of others that our faith is kindled.” We simply need each other to learn from each other, to be inspired by each other, and to share Christ together. The best gift you can give to God’s church is to become our best and by your best to inspire others to fully embrace the life of Christ. As we go out together Jesus builds his church and defeats the enemy!

May we inspire one another to grow in Christ and to be transformed together by His presence.

We are getting more rain which is needed here so we are off to do indoor things like going to Toys R Us and maybe bowling before Scouts.

We are having a good Sabbath and went to Max Lacado’s church this morning. We heard a humble and powerful sermon. Al went to another church following and as Ann and I  went home to talk to our Finnish “daughter” in Finland.

TOday’s devotion is from Gary Thomas’ book, The Beautiful Fight

God will discipline us to help us grow. It is better to face redemptive pain that draws us toward God than to face the pain of rebellion,which creates a distance in our walk with God.
What truly matters is how He uses our troubles and frustrations to conform us to His image. Don’t run from these things but be humbled in the midst of them. Learn how to live in the messiness of human relationships-confronting, forgiving, and asking to be forgiven. “Don’t make a hassle-free life your primary pursuit; instead, listen to God to discern how HE is using these interruptions to cleanse your soul and purify your attitudes”.  The Lord has the right to do whatever He thinks best, regardless of our opinion, comfort, or complaining. We need to joyfully accept how God does it and embrace gratitude for how He is doing it.
But even if this is painful, it is a good pain as we become freer and more like Him.

Transformation is a longtime process! “Paying the price to grow in transfomation begins with the fear of God, takes root with the virtue of humilty, is strengthened with surrender, and embraces gratitude.” Let us not be satisfied with less.

Devotions from Gary Thomas’s book, The Beautiful Fight

“It is spiritually toxic and personally disastrous to assume that we have ever arrived, that we can stop making progress.

God’s transforming power is at work in us. No one is a perfect example but that should not keep us from surrendering to and receiving His enabling grace to grow.

We need to be an authentic example, growing in Christlikeness with more courage, more gentleness, less self-absorption, and a greater willingness to serve.

It is selfish to use God’s grace as a reason not to grow in godliness.  Sin not only affects us but others as well. Every sin of ours has repercussions for others too.

The fact is God cares more about our true transformation than we do. God has a way of shining his light on our weaknesses that war against our profession of faith. He may order events and circumstances to wake us up to character issues we are blinded to or complacent about. We need to face these revelations with open, humble hearts.

When we stop focusing on growing, we usually regress. But even though we can’t provide a perfect example of what it means to be a Christian, we should make progress in our growth to be more like Him. Others may be influenced by our faith and progress too! The journey is worth taking!

We have been to see two missions in San Antonio today and one was the oldest in the U.S. We loved reading about the history of each one. Then we went to the River Walk and had lunch and to a plaza to shop before coming home. Another fun day.

Today’s devotion is from Gary Thomas’ book, The Beautiful Fight

We are called to grow in holiness and to glorify God above all else. “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:16

The highest motivation for striving to grow in holiness is to honor God and to bring Him glory. OUr transformation proclaims His reality.

If we claim go be with Jesus and haven’t changed, then the gospel gets robbed of its glory. “When I allow God to change the way I view people, talk to people, hear people, and feel about people, I become a conduit of ministry, an encourager of faith, and a walking advertisement for God’s transforming grace.”
When we continue to go alone in our old ways, it represents hard-hearted ungrate-fulness for what God has done for us. Remaining unchanged reflects on our personal destiny, but also God’s eternal purposes. TRue grace that saves us continues to transform us.
Out of gratitude for all He has given us, and in awe of all He is, we are invited to embrace His transforming work.

Blessings to each of you!

Today has been a fun day as we went to the Tower of the Americas in

downtown and then this afternoon to Karate class to see all 3 boys get

their white belts.

Todays devotion is from Gary Thomas’ book, The Beautiful Fight

As we surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest himself

through us, we become available to God and give glory to Him.

Our lives become a call to represent Christ wherever we go!

God didn’t design us to be captivated by success in ministry, chastity,

or financial responsibility; He created us to be captivated by Him.
We must never mistake the means for the end.

Availablility to God is all about being in tune with God, ready to be

used by Him, and living for HIm on a moment to moment basis.

By tuning in to God, God tunes us in to people, bringing them our way.

God moves as He wills, Where He wills, When He wills. But it is an act of worship to present ourselves before God , saying, “Here I am. If you

want to do something through me, I’m ready.”
“When every moment becomes pregnant with divine possibility, and when each situation provides opportunity for God to manifest Himself

through us, well, there’s nothing else like it.”
May we be faithful as God chooses to use us.
Blessings to you all, Judy

We are in San Antonio and thankfully arrived safely before the grandkids

had to go to bed. I am unable to get my wireless computer to work here

so I will be using the blog site for daily devotions. If you want to e-mail

me you can do so at Ann’s.

Devotions for 9-29 from Gary Thomas’ book, The Beautiful Fight

“Whenever a man feels kind compasion with love for his fellow
Christian, it Christ within him.” Julian of Norwich

WE are told in Prov. 4:23 to above all else guard our hearts. Andrew

Murrey put it this way: “WE know that whatever a man sets his heart

on exercies a mighty influence on the life, and leaves its stamp upon

his character. HE that follows after vanity becomes vain. He that trusts a god of his own fancy will find his religion an illusion. He that sets his heart

upon the loving God will find the living God take possession and fill

his heart.”  Sin distorts our view of reality and steals our hearts.
We must guard that we don’t become so busy that our hearts become

calloused before HIm.  WE need to continually feed our hearts’

affection and cultivate intimacy with God. A heart for God isn’t just

a heart that is against something like gossip and slander but rather

a heart that loves as God loves. The more we open our hearts to Him

 the more HE pours in His passion and love. We get free of self-

absorption and no longer make selfish demands of others. Having

God’s heart means ther are no “it people” in our lives. God gives us

His concern, compassion, and love for everyone. He will give us

His heart if we just go to Him and receive.

Blessings to you all.!