TRUSTING GOD #10, ABRAHAM’S BIG DECISION

Kauai 10 Abraham (1)

ABRAHAM’S BIG DECISION

Aloha!

“Worrying about past mistakes only robs us of future progress. God will still forgive, teach, and use us for His glory.  Even when we fail Him, He never fails us.”

On this journey called “Life,” let God be God!

It’s much easier to drive a car when you are looking at where you are going rather than looking in the rear view mirror.  If you continue to look in the rear view mirror, (at past mistakes) you can’t see where you’re going.  Don’t let your past cloud your future!

There are times we make mistakes. Just don’t stay there.  When you fall down, pick yourself up by the scruff of the neck and keep going!  Proverbs 24:16 “The righteous falls seven times, but arise again.”

There’s part of a song I used to sing to my kids when they were little.  “Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off.  Start all over again.”  It helped when they’d fallen down not to focus on their having fallen, but on getting back up.  Before you knew it, they were playing and having fun.

When we make mistakes or wrong choices, we have a choice to focus on our failures, or to get back up off the ground and focus on God.  Be quick to repent and turn back to God.  Trust Him and live a life of faith rather than worry.

“Abraham left behind a legacy of extraordinary faith and trust even though he made mistakes.”

Abraham, originally called Abram, lived a life of adventure following God.  We also find Abraham is one of the “Heroes of Faith” in Hebrews 11.  Abraham had a big calling on his life.  Even though God made promises and spoke to him, he didn’t completely trust God at times.  Abraham allowed worry and stress affect him and his decisions.  Genesis 12, 20 He lied about his beautiful wife by saying she was his sister two times! In spite of his lack of faith and failures, God intervened and saw Abraham through.

Abraham learned from his mistakes and slowly learned to trust God and make better choices.  He passed a huge test with flying colors when God asked him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac.  He trusted God through the whole ordeal and God provided a lamb!

“We can choose to walk in obedience now, regardless of past errors in judgment.  The best is yet to come.”

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

Cindy Black Bice, Aloha Garden Bible Study

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

AWARENESS & SPIRITUAL GIFTS, Dr. Robert Bice

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Awareness: Do I Really Know What is Going On?

Dr. Robert Bice, as shared with Rejoice Church 7-26-15

  1. Know Who I Am

Nature, Learning Style, Communication Style, Personality Style, World View

Be aware of my biases I use for making decisions in my life, my lenses I wear (video)

Gifts and Calling, What are my primary and secondary gifts I have been given

THE GIFTS IN ROMANS 12, 1 CORINTHIANS 12, AND EPHESIANS 4

Rom 12:6-8 NLTIn his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

Eph 4:11-12 NLT “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

1 Cor 12:7-11 NLT “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

“Conformed to His Image, by Ken Boa”

A spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Spirit … given for the benefit of all (1 Cor. 12:7). As a supernatural endowment, its source is always the Holy Spirit, and its purpose is the building up of others to the glory of God.

  1. Prophecy (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28-29; 14:1-40; Eph. 4:11)–The ability to receive and proclaim a message from God. This could involve the foretelling of future events, though its primary purpose as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:3 is forth-telling: one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation. This gift provides a word from God to a specific group, not the normative Word of God to all believers. Some maintain that prophecy is still operative in this sense today, while others say that the nearest current equivalent is Spirit-empowered preaching.
  2. Service (Rom. 12:7)–The ability to identify and care for the physical needs of the body through a variety of means. The Greek word for this gift is the same as that for ministry or deacon, but the gift should not be confused with the office.
  3. Teaching (Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28-29; Eph. 4:11)–The ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truths of God’s Word so that others will learn. This requires the capacity to accurately interpret Scripture, engage in necessary research, and organize the results in a way that is easily communicated.
  4. Exhortation (Rom. 12:8)–The ability to motivate others to respond to the truth by providing timely words of counsel, encouragement, and consolation. When this gift is exercised, believers are challenged to stimulate their faith by putting God’s truth to the test in their lives.
  5. Giving (Rom. 12:8)–The ability to contribute material resources with generosity and cheerfulness for the benefit of others and the glory of God. Christians with this spiritual gift need not be wealthy.
  6. Leadership (Rom. 12:8)–The ability to discern God’s purpose for a group, set and communicate appropriate goals, and motivate others to work together to fulfill them in the service of God. A person with this gift is effective at delegating tasks to followers without manipulation or coercion.
  7. Mercy (Rom. 12:8)–The ability to deeply empathize and engage in compassionate acts on behalf of people who are suffering physical, mental, or emotional distress. Those with this gift manifest concern and kindness to people who are often overlooked.
  8. Wisdom (1 Cor. 12:8)–The ability to apply the principles of the Word of God in a practical way to specific situations and to recommend the best course of action at the best time. The exercise of this gift skillfully distills insight and discernment into excellent advice.
  9. Knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8)–The ability to discover, analyze, and systematize truth for the benefit of others. With this gift, one speaks with understanding and penetration. Some also associate supernatural perception with this gift.
  10. Faith (1 Cor. 12:9)–The ability to have a vision for what God wants to be done and to confidently believe that it will be accomplished in spite of circumstances and appearances to the contrary. The gift of faith transforms vision into reality.
  11. Healing (1 Cor. 12:9, 28, 30)–The ability to serve as a human instrument through whom God supernaturally cures illnesses and restores health. The possessor of this gift is not the source of power, but a vessel who can only heal those diseases the Lord chooses to heal. Inner healing, or healing of memories is sometimes associated as another manifestation of this gift.
  12. Miracles (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 29)–The ability to serve as an instrument through whom God accomplishes acts that manifest supernatural power. Miracles bear witness to the presence of God and the truth of His proclaimed Word, and appear to occur most frequently in association with missionary activity.
  13. Distinguishing of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10)–The ability to clearly discern the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (cf. 1 John 4:6). With this gift, one can distinguish reality versus counterfeits, the divine versus the demonic, true versus false teaching, and in some cases, spiritual versus carnal motives.
  14. Tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; 14:1-40)–The ability to receive and impart a spiritual message in a language the recipient never learned. For other members of the body to be edified, this message must be interpreted either by the recipient (1 Cor. 14:13) or by another person with the gift of interpretation (1 Cor. 14:26-28).
  15. Interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 30; 14:5, 13, 26-28)–The ability to translate into the vernacular a message publicly uttered in a tongue. This gift may be combined with the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 14:13), or it can operate separately (1 Cor. 14:26-28).
  16. Apostleship (1 Cor. 12:28,29; Eph. 4:11)–In the New Testament, the apostles were not limited to the Twelve, but included Paul, Barnabas, Andronicus, Junias, and others as well (Acts 14:14; Rom. 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:5,7; 1 Thess. 2:6). As a spiritual gift, this is the ability to begin and/or to oversee new churches and Christian ministries with a spontaneously recognized authority.
  17. Helps (1 Cor. 12:28)–The ability to enhance the effectiveness of the ministry of other members of the body. This is the only usage of this word in the New Testament, and it appears to be distinct from the gift of service. Some suggest that while the gift of service is more group-oriented, the gift of helps is more person-oriented.
  18. Administration (1 Cor. 12:28)–This word, like helps, appears only one time in the New Testament, and it is used outside of Scripture of a helmsman who steers a ship to its destination. This suggests that the spiritual gift of administration is the ability to steer a church or Christian organization toward the fulfillment of its goals by managing its affairs and implementing necessary plans. A person may have the gift of leadership without the gift of administration.
  19. Evangelism (Eph. 4:11)–The ability to be an unusually effective instrument in leading unbelievers to a saving knowledge of Christ. Some with this gift are most effective in personal evangelism, while others may be used by God in group evangelism or cross-cultural evangelism.
  20. Shepherd or pastor (Eph. 4:11)–Peter was commissioned by Christ to shepherd His sheep (John 21:16), and Peter exhorted the elders in the churches of Asia Minor to do the same (1 Pet. 5:2; cf. Acts 20:28). A person with this spiritual gift has the ability to personally lead, nourish, protect, and care for the needs of a flock of believers. Not all people with the office of pastor (elder, overseer) have or need the gift of pastoring or shepherding, and many with this gift do not have or need the office.
  21. Peter Wagner in Your Spiritual Gifts suggests others:
  22. celibacy (the ability to enjoy being single and maintain sexual self-control; 1 Cor. 7:7-9);
  23. voluntary poverty (the ability to renounce material comfort and adopt a life-style of relative poverty; 1 Cor. 13:3);
  24. martyrdom (the ability to display an attitude of joy while suffering or even dying for the faith; 1 Cor. 13:3);
  25. hospitality (the ability to welcome and provide for those in need of food and lodging; Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9);
  26. missionary (the ability to minister effectively in a second culture);
  27. intercession (the ability to pray for a long period of time on a regular basis for the ministries and needs of others); and
  28. exorcism (the ability to discern and cast out demons with authority)
  29. music
  30. craftsmanship
  31. ideas, inventions, profitable endeavors to benefit others

 

  1. Know Where I Am

It only takes one word from God to change my circumstance. That word may come from an unlikely source. Keep myself free to hear God speak. Even Moses was at work when he heard from God and it took a special bush burning to get his attention.

Seek out my next gifts, steps, and opportunities. Knowledge has increased exponentially and allowed us to go where we never could before. Yesterday’s accomplishments are only steps to take us to tomorrow. Let’s not get stuck in yesterday. The 4 minute mile was ruled out for years as impossible for humans and even medically harmful UNTIL someone did it and then there were multiple people within a short time. (Roger Bannister picture)

 

  1. Know Where I Am Going

High mobilization of spiritual gifts was the key to the rapid multiplication of the church in the New Testament (cf. Rom. 1:11, Eph. 4:12, 2 Tim. 2:2).

Rejoice Vision Statement:

Recover the lost by sharing the joy of God’s love & salvation through Jesus Christ (the gospel) with everyone;

Empower them to become fully devoted Christ-followers (disciples) who embrace God’s purpose for their life;

Deploy them into their ministries in the church, & their mission in the world, so they can glorify God everywhere.

Growth requires pain, even modern gyms carry the message of “no pain, no gain”. We have to embrace the idea of doing the work to see the results. Let’s work together.

Take the step because until you do, help will not be revealed.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kill countless ideas and splendid plans:  that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it.  Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now.”  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832

Contact Robert Bice at RobertBice@outlook.com

 

START THINKING CREATIVELY

START THINKING CREATIVELY

From “The Word For You Today”, July 25, 2015

“Diotrephes…refuses to accept my suggestions.” 3 John 1:9 AMP

Not everybody is willing to think creatively, and some folks resent those people who do. The apostle John said: “I have written briefly to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to take the lead among them and put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority and refuses to accept my suggestions or listen to me.” 3 John 1:9 AMP

Every organization has at least one of these people; just make sure it’s not you.

Author Phil Cooke says: “One of the most damaging sacred cows in organizations is basing employees status on seniority rather than talent Yes, loyalty is important, but some of the most loyal employees I’ve ever bet are loyal because of selfishness.  They project loyalty to keep their jobs, retain their benefits, or hold on to their authority.

Real loyalty is about innovation, original thinking, and helping the company get to the next level…every person has worth and is important.

But a great leader always knows the people who bring the most value to the organization. Those are the people to be developed, trained, and cultivated.

When you create an atmosphere of original thinking, you’ll have more loyalty then you’ll know what to do with.

Most companies are so ignorant of how to develop an environment of innovation that if you di it, you’ll have people coming from every direction to work with you.”

The apostle Paul practiced and taught this principle: “We urge you…to recognize those who labor among you…and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.” 1 Thess 5:12-13

To be a creative thinker, you must value creative thinking.

TRUSTING GOD #9, CAIN’S REMINDER

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CAIN’S REMINDER ABOUT WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT

Aloha!

“When swirling emotions threaten to take over, we have a choice. Let’s choose to obey God, surrender all our anxiety, and let peace reign in our hearts and lives.”

It’s easy to say, “Yes Lord,” when in God’s presence. When things don’t go the way you think they should and life’s trials become unbearable, what do you do?  Luke 22:54-62 Peter actually denied the Lord and then had a repentant heart and ended up being a powerful disciple.

We may be tempted to be angry and blame others or God. When you feel like turning away from God, I hope you run into His everlasting arms. Like Peter, we may fail at times. Know that God loves you!  Rather than taking matters into your own hands, Trust God!  Choose Jesus!

Cain and his brother, Abel, brought offerings to the Lord. Cain’s offering from the field was not accepted by God while Abel’s offering from the flock was.

Genesis 4 Cain was outraged and allowed destructive emotions to take precedence and rule his angry and hurting heart. “God was waiting for Cain to release all the emotional worry to Him and focus on the important stuff.  Cain made the wrong choice.”

God had a better way for Cain. How different things could have been had he only trusted God!  God let Cain know he had a choice to do well or if he didn’t, sin was waiting at the door.

“Only through our relationship with God can our destructive thoughts and feelings be transformed and redeemed into constructive expressions that bring life and hope.”

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

“I Will Choose Christ” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1PG3WwU1r4  

Kathy Triccoli sings, “I will choose Christ.  I will choose love.  I choose to serve. I give my heart. I give my life.  I give my all to You.”

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

Cindy Black Bice, Aloha Garden Bible Study

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE, Pastor George W. Black

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LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

 Pastor George W. Black, shared with Rejoice Church 7-19-15

I know you want my words today to be the right words, words of wisdom and compassion, but also words of Biblical accuracy with no compromise.

I am painfully aware that no matter what I say today, some will feel I didn’t go far enough, and others will feel I went too far. But my objective is not to please anyone here today, for I truly fear God more than I do you. As TD Jakes has famously stated, I don’t get to have an opinion in this matter. All that matters is what God thinks.

And that my friends is the role of the preacher. To carefully and dispassionately convey to you the heart and mind of God as clearly and concisely as possible. I believe people want to know what the will of God is, and when given the truth, they often will choose to let go of their small-minded thinking and embrace God’s great big thinking.

But not everyone wants to the truth of God’s Word.

“Following Jesus doesn’t mean everyone will like you, but it guarantees that some will hate you.” – Lecrae

Opening Scripture:

1 Tim 4:1 NLT “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

2 Tim 4:3-4 NLT “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”

Rom 11:2-5 NKJV “Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”

Introduction: On June 26 of 2015, in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, making marriage between same-sex partners legal in all fifty states.

Justice Antonin Scalia, one of four dissenting Justices from the ruling, filed a scathing dissent in which he called Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion “rootless and shifting,” “confusing,” and “perplexing” and that the ruling “threatens American Democracy.” He also said that it consists of “nonspecific hand-waving,” and that it demonstrates “real cheek.”

His concern was that five men had not interpreted the law, which is the limit of the power of the Supreme Court, but rather they had stepped over into the legislative side of the separation of powers and had actually made law, which is reserved for the States and Congress.

His actual comment was “A system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.”

WOW!

Black Christian News Network One, quoted the President of Russia: “President Vladimir Putin, former KGB agent of a once-atheist nation, rebukes America, a once-Christian nation by saying that by forsaking traditional Christian values and putting same-sex marriage on the same level as traditional marriage with a man, woman, and children, the nation is forsaking God and believing in Satan and will be led into degradation and chaotic darkness.”

Mega Church Pastor Rick Warren said, “I fear God’s disapproval more than man’s.”

The bottom line is this failed decision has been made and is now the law of the land. That doesn’t make it right or moral, and we don’t have to agree with it any more than we have to agree with abortion. But this decision does makes it a reality we now have to deal with. As a church we must also begin to prepare for the horrible fallout that will follow in terms of destroyed lives.

Many people are angry, not just Christians. Our cherished landmarks are being removed and we often do not recognize our country anymore. But as Christians we have to be careful about who we are angry at. Far too much hate speech has occurred in the name of God, and God doesn’t put His name on any of it. Our anger should be turned to saving the lost, not condemning them.

Rick Warren stated “while I may disagree with you on your views on sexuality, this does not give me the right to demean you, to demoralize you, to defame you, to turn you into a demon.”

Homosexuals as a percentage of our population are estimated at 2%, with Bloomberg offering a generous estimate of 4%. What we have to realize is that this gay marriage decision was driven by a lot of heterosexual people as well, including our White House draped in rainbow colors, and many politicians, as well as giant corporations like Microsoft and Apple.

In other words, we now live in a Post-Christian America where basic Christian morals and values based upon the clear teaching of the Bible are no longer the accepted norm.

Newsflash: America has been the exception. This non-Christian era we are now entering has actually been the normal environment in which the Christian faith has historically had to contend.

In the grand scheme of things, rarely, if ever, has the Christian Church existed in a more supportive environment than the United States of America. Our nation was founded by those fleeing religious persecution and seeking a new world where they could practice a Biblical, protestant faith. For over 200 years America has been known as a Christian nation with Christian values. Our first text book was the Bible. Our great universities were founded by ministers. And so we have enjoyed the benefit of a city set upon a hill, one that has given its light to the rest of the world.

But those days have been coming to an end for many decades. As our Christian morality as a nation has slowly leaked away, so too has our blessing and protection. When we took the original textbook, the Bible, out of our schools, the safety and protection of our children left. Seventy five years ago some of the worst offenses in school were shooting spit-balls and pulling girls pig-tails. Today it is guns and drugs.

Fifty years ago most folks didn’t lock their doors at night, or take the key out of their car. And guess what. They slept safe, and their car was never stolen.

But today with the moral erosion that has continued, helped along by an increasingly humanistic educational system that has produced todays adults, including the theory of evolution that robs the Creation from its rightful Creator, and along with it the moral consequences of ignoring His commandments, we now have one of the highest crime rates in the world. I will never forget the time I was in New Orleans and saw the evening news reported the nightly murder rate. The idea of a nightly murder rate rocked my safe world. I was so shocked that I remember that moment till this day.

Fifty years ago teachers still led their class in daily prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Now we hand out condoms, the pill, and allow abortions without parental consent. And I recently learned that there is one state that is actually attempting to make it possible for teenagers to elect gender reassignment without parental consent.

The point of this look-back is to let the younger people in our congregation know that our America has not always been the way it is today. There has been a cause that has brought us to this effect.

What happened to America? The enemy sowed tares while the church was sleeping.

Matt 13:24-26 “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.”

The boiling frog story is an anecdote describing a frog slowly being boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to threats that occur gradually, such as the slow erosion of morals and Christian values in America.

Generally the Church has had to exist in anti-Christ and pagan society that has persecuted true Christians and the true church. Christianity had a good run in America, but that run is over. We now live in a post-Christian society that has largely gone pagan. What we need to understand is that the true church still exists, and will overcome all of these challenges and distractions as a remnant church.

My job as a minister of the Gospel, and your job as a follower of Christ, is to help people understand what the Word of God is still true, and says they can repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ.

3 Jn 7. “No greater joy than children walking in truth.”

How are we going to do this?

 

  1. First of all, LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE is about recognizing that we are all born into this world as sinners in need of a Savior.

Rom 3:23 NKJV  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

We are born with a sin nature that is bent. That is what the world “iniquity” means. This is why Jesus had to die for us, to deliver us from our fallen or “bent” nature.

Is 53:6 NKJV “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Some say gays are born that way. While this is not genetically true, it is true that we are all born sinners in need of a Savior.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means we look to the Bible as our final rule of authority for what love and compromise actually are.

2 Tim 3:5-17 NLT “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

Christianity is based upon the Bible, or else it is not Christianity. If it is not based on the Bible, it becomes some other religion. But only the Bible is the Book of Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ has died for our sins and can therefore save us from the penalty of our sins and give us eternal life.

We therefore must affirm that the Bible determines what we believe and how we behave. The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means that we must lovingly hold to the truth of Scripture when it defines marriage solely in terms of the union of a man and a woman.

The Bible opens and closes with a wedding. God is the author of marriage, and no one can redefine it. To God there is no such thing as gay marriage, for His blessing can never be attached to it.

When it comes to same-sex marriage, Scripture prohibits what the Supreme Court permits.

Matthew 19:4-6 NLT “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

Also Mark 10:5-9; Genesis 1:27-28, 2:20-24; Ephesians 5:21-32.

Not only that, Scripture prohibits same-sex intercourse.

Romans 1:24-28 NLT “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Also 1 Timothy 1:10; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13

God’s Word makes it clear that homosexual sex is a perversion of God’s design. It is also apparently a choice we make, as with all sinful behavior, that God will judge us for. To say this is not condmening, it is speaking the truth in love. Truth is a warning of judgment.

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE means that despite the chatter to the contrary, no one is born gay; there is no “gay” gene because God created us male and female.

A. Identical Twin Studies Prove Homosexuality is Not Genetic

June 24, 2013 by Mark Ellis –orthodoxytoday.org

Eight major studies of identical twins in Australia, the U.S., and Scandinavia during the last two decades all arrive at the same conclusion: gays were not born that way.

“At best genetics is a minor factor,” says Dr. Neil Whitehead, PhD. Whitehead worked for the New Zealand government as a scientific researcher for 24 years, then spent four years working for the United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency. Most recently, he serves as a consultant to Japanese universities about the effects of radiation exposure. His PhD is in biochemistry and statistics.

Identical twins have the same genes or DNA. They are nurtured in equal prenatal conditions. If homosexuality is caused by genetics or prenatal conditions and one twin is gay, the co-twin should also be gay.

“Because they have identical DNA, it ought to be 100%,” Dr. Whitehead notes. But the studies reveal something else. “If an identical twin has same-sex attraction the chances the co-twin has it are only about 11% for men and 14% for women.”

Because identical twins are always genetically identical, homosexuality cannot be genetically dictated. “No-one is born gay,” he notes. “The predominant things that create homosexuality in one identical twin and not in the other have to be post-birth factors.”

The predominant things that create homosexuality in one identical twin and not in the other have to be post-birth factors.

Dr. Whitehead believes same-sex attraction (SSA) is caused by “non-shared factors,” things happening to one twin but not the other, or a personal response to an event by one of the twins and not the other.

For example, one twin might have exposure to pornography or sexual abuse, but not the other. One twin may interpret and respond to their family or classroom environment differently than the other. “These individual and idiosyncratic responses to random events and to common environmental factors predominate,” he says.

 

B. There is also evidence to support that some gay adults were molested as children.

There is a growing body of evidence to support the idea that some gay adults were molested as children. It’s not a gay gene that gets passed down from our parents, but it can be a gay demon that gets passed from the adult molester to the molested child. No child wants to be molested, but once they are, that violation has conditioned them for further experimentation with same sex relationships. The Bible calls this an unclean spirit.

 

5. The good news is that God is still in the saving business for all sinners, including gays.

Former Lesbian Turned Christian: ‘We’ve Made God Little if We Believe He Cannot Change People’

November 28, 2014 | Filed under: Highlights,Life & Society,Top Stories | By: Heather Clark 

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. —A former lesbian turned Christian is coming out about her conversion from living as a homosexual, and is testifying about the power of God to change a life.

Jackie Hill Perry, 25, is a spoken word poet, and is expecting her first child, a girl, next month along with her husband, poet Preston Perry.

“I think we’ve made God very little if we believe that He cannot change people,” Perry declared on Wade-O Radio last year. “If He can make a moon, stars and a galaxy that we have yet to fully comprehend, how can He not simply change my desires?”

Perry has become increasingly outspoken about her testimony, as she was once in romantic relationships with other women. The poet says that she was sexually abused at age five, and as a result, developed gender confusion throughout her youth, not knowing if she wanted to identify as a man or a woman. However, she hid her urges as her family attended a church that had biblical beliefs about morality.

In her late teen years, Perry began experimenting with homosexuality, and became sexually active with a girl. She continued in this lifestyle, moving on to a second girlfriend, who encouraged her to dress more masculine. Perry also frequenting “gay” clubs and attending homosexual pride events.

But in 2008, at age 19, she became convicted about her behavior, and she knew that she was heading down the wrong path. Perry said that God spoke to her one day as she lay in bed, the day after she had engaged in sexual activity with her girlfriend.

“The girl who you’re with will be the death of you,” she recalled Him saying. “At that time, my eyes were opened to that it wasn’t just homosexuality that would be the death of me. It was my complete and entire lifestyle. It’s not just, ‘You’re gay. You’re [also] lustful, you’re prideful, you’re a thief, you’re rebellious, you’re a masturbator and you’re a porn addict.’ I saw all of these things that deserved Hell and I really believed and saw that God would be just in sending me there.”

“The Scriptures came alive to me,” Perry told the Christian Examiner. “They said for the wages of sin is death, and I perceived it as real. But [Scripture] also said those who repent and believe will inherit eternal life. And I thought, ‘Ok God, I trust you. I believe You.’”

She knew she had to walk away from her girlfriend and stop giving into whatever her flesh wanted. Perry then sat down and penned a poem called “My Life as a Stud.”

“Instead of me dying to myself, I was willing to die for myself,” she wrote. “There was no fairy whispering in my ear/Only me and the devil telling me what I wanted to hear.”

“The more my will to sin would grow, I could see it in my face …. I could see Him stretched out on the wood…/Being the disgrace for the sin I was committing in His face,” Perry continued. “Seeing Him take on the wrath of the Father on the wood in my place/I still spat in His face.”

Perry has performed the song at numerous outlets nationwide, and has sometimes faced resistance for her stance. Her video performance of the poem, first performed live in 2010, now has over 400,00 views.

“No, my friend, you were not born gay,” she declares. “You were born into sin and shaped in iniquity/When Eve ate that fruit, we were cursed to do anything/ We were open for murder, we were destined to lose/We were given free will/You chose to choose/You chose to defy God’s rules ’cause inside of you, you wanted to be like Him and make them.”

Perry has since gone on to sign with Humble Beast Records, where she released her debut album “The Art of Joy” this month, which is also available for free online. Earlier this year, she married fellow poet Preston Perry. But she said that marriage isn’t the panacea—Christ is.

“That’s so not true,” Perry said. “What’s true is that when you’ve been united with Christ by faith, when you know Him and have been made righteous in His sight, that is your goal. Working from that, it’s going to be to live a life that is pleasing to Him whether through marriage or singleness.”

Don’t believe the lie that people can’t change. The new birth is a miracle of change in the heart and life of every person that submits to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

  1. Ten Mistakes People Make with Same-Sex Marriage.
    1. Forget that despite all the sins that existed in Sodom and Gomorrah, God only destroyed these two cities because of the sin of homosexuality.
  2. 2. Miss how it devalues God’s plan that a man be wedded to his wife. (Matthew 19:4-6)
    3. Don’t realize it is a degrading of Christ and His union with the Church (which is what Biblical marriage is a picture of). (Ephesians 5:31-32)
    4. Think that just because it “feels good” and two people are “in love” it must be right.
    5. Miss that lust is very different than love. (1 John 2:16; John 15:13)
    6. Forget that homosexuality is a sin in God’s eyes. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
    7. Overlook the primary function of marriage which is procreation, and to bond an man and women in marriage all of their lives. (Mark 10:8)
    8. Turn a blind eye towards its unnaturalness (“against nature”).
    9. Miss that if marriage is redefined, where then is the line to be drawn? (three women? a man and his dog?).
    10. Don’t realize the ruined lives because of it (due to depression, disease, etc ~ the media hides this truth)

 

  1. LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISE compels us to tell our gay friends or family members that Jesus Christ loves them so much that He not only died for their sins, but He arose from the dead so they can have a new life of deliverance and wholeness.

The kindest, most loving thing we can ever do for a person trapped in homosexuality is to share with them that God has a better way through Christ. That if they fully submit their lives to Jesus Christ, God can do a miracle in their lives, God can deliver them, God can heal them, God can restore them to the image He has for them.

 

  1. Closing Thoughts:

Despite the growing influence of paganism in our western society, I am not discouraged. We can never have Christ’s Kingdom on earth without the King Himself. The growing darkness is merely a backdrop for the sons and daughters of righteousness to shine like the stars.

A lot of Christianity we have in America has been cultural Christianity, which does not save. Just because a person was raised in a Christian culture, or even a Christian home, does not make them a Christian. Jesus said you must be born-again to be a Christian, which implies a repentance of our sinful life, and the embracing of a new kingdom and rulership, which is following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

God is stripping the masquerade masks off of cultural Christianity. The defections of various groups, organizations, and even whole denominations from the true faith has not hurt real Christianity. These groups have exposed themselves for who they really are. The choice between the true church and the imitation one is becoming easier.

The true church in America will be persecuted by religious people, and the government, just as it has in so many other countries from Jesus time until now. The wake-up call is upon us. The next few years will separate the men from the boys. Jesus said by their fruits shall you know them.

This is really good news. While the modern church has been content to go chameleon by blending in and adapting to the world’s culture…in so much so that we often can no longer tell where one ends and the other begins, God has another plan. He is forcing a difference so the lost can find their way to the real churches, the ones that still stand for the old ways, and that have not begun worshiping at the altar of compromise.

I believe the greatest revival in the history of the world is still ahead of us. It will come during intense persecution. It will come without the help or support of the Whitehouse or government. It will be a sovereign last-day move of the Holy Spirit to sweep the hungering and thirsting into the Kingdom, and then the end will come.

We are the generation God has chosen for this last-day harvest. What an honor to suffer for Christ, if need be. God has kept the best until now. Now go let your light shine for Jesus. We have come to the kingdom for just such a time as this. GO GOD!

Jesus said in John 2:10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

Love without compromise means we keep sharing the joy of God’s love with everyone so everyone can be saved.

Our mission is not hate, or anger. Our mission is to speak the truth, and speak it in love. Telling someone that God’s plan for them is better than theirs is not hate speech; it is the only truly loving we can tell them. And if we don’t, the Bible says their blood may be our hands when they die.

Ez 3:18-19 NLT “If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.”

Our vision is RED, R. E. D., and acronym that stands for Recover, Empower, and Deploy. What does this mean?

Recover the lost by sharing the joy of God’s love & salvation through Jesus Christ (the gospel) with everyone;

Empower them to become fully devoted Christ-followers (disciples) who embrace God’s purpose for their life;

Deploy them into their ministries in the church, & their mission in the world, so they can glorify God everywhere.

This vision statement means more to us today than ever before.

The point of today’s message is that while we are living in an eroding society that is becoming more and more alien to the Bible believing Christian, we have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this.

If we will embrace this season as an opportunity to be a church that is a city on the hill, sending out the light of hope and salvation all those that are lost and in darkness, our benefit will be fulfilling the Great Commission, our final assignment on planet earth.

TRUSTING GOD #8, DAVID DANCES WITH WILD ABANDON

Kauai 8 David

DAVID DANCES WITH WILD ABANDON

Aloha!

“The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise God.”  Thomas Merton

David knew and loved God with all his heart.  Even at his lowest moments, David would bless God with every fiber of his being. Psalms 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Psalms is full of songs of worship and praise to our great and mighty God! When reading and singing the Psalms, like David, I find myself passionately worshiping God! 

David danced with wild abandon when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem.  He didn’t care what others thought.  His wife even despised him in her heart.  It was reason enough to celebrate having God’s presence in the City! 

God desires us to worship Him in Spirit and in truth with our whole hearts.  He created us for His pleasure.  We are fearfully and wonderfully made.  When our focus is God, and we worship Him with our whole lives, we will find ourselves in His presence!

 Encourage yourself in the Lord reading Psalms!  Know who God is!  Praise and glorify Him with your whole heart in wild abandon!Don’t be overcome by fear and anxiety.  Let the praises of God rise up within you!  Dance! Sing!  Shout! 

 Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and God is our strength, a very present help in trouble.”

 Psalms 34:1-4 “I will bless the Lord at all times:  His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:  the humble shall see and be glad.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.  I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalms 43:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God:  for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Psalms 113:3-5 “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.  The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.  Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high.”

“When we choose to worship rather than worry, all our anxiety and concerns melt away in the presence of God. Worship is always the better choice.”

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

Cindy Black Bice, Aloha Garden Bible Study

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice

DEATH BY MINISTRY

deathbyministry-331x221

Death by Ministry

 

Years ago, I spent several hours per week doing research (and meeting with other pastors) about pastoral health and vitality for my denomination.

I chose to spend some time doing that for selfish reasons. I was and am still learning how to take better care of myself in ministry (as evidenced by the scary picture above) – while completely acknowledging that sometimes, it’s not supposed to feel right. We all know that work…well…is supposed to be laborious. And those in ministry know that ministry in itself is difficult. There’s no way to get around it, but…

What I learned was pretty shocking and heartbreaking, but one of the conclusions I came to was that as ministry leaders, pastors, and other pursuers of God’s work, it helps to understand some of the challenges ahead and to be proactive rather than reactive.

Recently, I posted Part I of this post entitled, Why Is Being a Pastor So Unhealthy. The reasons are complex, and I’ll acknowledge that when one looks for “doom and gloom,” you’ll find some discouraging things. I can focus an entry purely on the joys and blessings of pastoral ministry and feel confident I can write a compelling piece. But these statistics (and stories that many of us are aware of) and our personal stories are hard to ignore.

Here’s a summary of what I learned and shared:

There are varying reports from different sources, but I believe most will agree that the ministerial profession (life as pastors) is now considered one of the most dangerous or unhealthiest professions. It’s usually rated last or second to last. Read this from a local Northwest minister, Mark, on a comment on an earlier post:

“At the first church I served, we had an insurance agent who was a member of the congregation. When I went to see him about some auto insurance needs, he said ‘Hey, wanna see something that will scare the crap out of you?’…He pulled out a form that had various professions rated for their risk of giving life insurance policies to…Anyway, to make a lengthening story shorter, he showed me that clergy members were in the same category as Deep Sea Welders and Loggers as the second highest risk group to give life insurance policies to. We were behind crab fishermen but ahead of munitions workers.

It was a little disturbing to know that statistically I was gonna die due to my profession before someone who builds explosives. This was back in 1994; the statistics may be better (or worse) now.”

If you don’t believe the above comment, read some of these statistics:

Forty-eight percent of them think their work is hazardous to their family’s well being. Another 45.5% will experience burnout or depression that will make them leave their jobs. And 70% say their self-esteem is lower now than when they started their position. They have the 2nd highest divorce rate among professions. Who are they? They are pastors. Here are some more overwhelming statistics from this article.

  • 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
  • 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.
  • 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
  • 75% report they’ve had a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
  • 58% of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.
  • 56% of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
  • Pastors who work fewer than 50 hrs per week are 35% more likely to be terminated.
  • 40% of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

Feeling dizzy? Take a breath. Here are some more statistics:

  • Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
  • Fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce.
  • Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
  • Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
  • Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
  • Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
  • Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
  • Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons. [compiled by Darrin Patrick]

While I love being a pastor and even more, being called to be a pastor, I want folks to know how incredibly difficult it is at times to handle the complexities and stress of being a minister.

Finally, at the age of 39, I feel more at peace at how to create boundaries, love my church, better care for my wife and children, support my fellow staff, handle criticism, etc. but there are times, I feel clueless and overwhelmed. I’ve been having occasional visitors from a blog started by and for pastors’ wives [couldn’t find one for pastors’ husbands]. Some of their comments have been difficult to read because they hit so close to home. I will not post a link to their blog here, but here are two comments:

“Oh, and the financial part is tough. We live on poverty level. I don’t know how we are going to pay all the bills sometimes, much less buy groceries. The Lord always comes through, though, and on a really tough week, someone in the church will anonymously give us a gift. We have no in between at our church. It’s either people trying to help us out (it’s all there what we make each week – in black and white), or it’s people that have this attitude – ‘Pastors are supposed to suffer and sacrifice. It’s part of the job.’ Has anyone else noticed that mentality? I don’t know where it comes from, and it is one of my biggest pet peeves. Pastors aren’t supposed to drive nice cars, have nice houses, or buy new clothes. And we are always supposed to be worried about making ends meet – I wonder if it is just half of my church that thinks that way.”

Here’s the second comment:

“Today my son approached my husband and randomly said, ‘I guess you’re going back to church now.’ And he wasn’t going anywhere! During seminary, he would walk around the house saying, ‘Bye bye, Daddy. Bye bye, daddy!’ So sad, but very true. It’s definitely a calling, isn’t it? I told my husband the other day: ‘In my classes that I took to prepare me to be a minister’s wife, they told me over and over again, ‘it is the loneliest job in the world,’ but I never realized it until we were in the role…’”

While I feel solid support from my staff, my elder board, and the church as a whole, I know that many of my peers do not feel this way.

Simply, pastors are often underpaid, underappreciated, and at times, undermined.

There is strain on their marriages and families. Two other incredibly real factors that add complexities to the ministerial calling are: 1) the cultural complexity and dynamic of the 21st century and 2) the nebulous but real nature of the spiritual realm and battle. The reality is that being a pastor is not just merely a job nor should it be one. Ministry is a calling. It’s both amazing and incredibly difficult. While it isn’t my desire to overdramatize the significance of ministry, I do believe that the Evil One seeks to impede and harm the work that is to take place through ministers and pastors.

As for the “cultural complexity of the 21st century,” I think this quote captures my sentiment:

“My viewpoint tends to be more organizational, so my take on being a pastor is that it is an impossible job. Here you are asked to be the lead preacher and teacher, available for counseling sessions, leading a staff of people that can span such responsibilities as missions and janitorial, serving as the public face for your organization in the community, networking with other leaders at Christian conferences and denominational gatherings. That’s a lot of hats!…Let’s finally consider the financial issues. I don’t believe pastors are paid very well, so that’s obviously a downer. And if you are paid well, and sometimes even if you aren’t, that has its own issues, for congregants can quite easily feel they own you, since they’re paying your way. What other organization is the person at top in such an awkward financial relationship with his or her co-workers and clients?” [h/t Lee H]

My point is very simple:

Please care, pray, and love your pastors (and church staff) in your churches.

Seriously, give them a nice pay raise, more time off, regular opportunities to get away for even a day retreat to pray, buy them some dinner certificates, honor their spouses, love their children, pray for them, and regularly share your appreciation and affirmation.

Now, I know that this can easily be intended to perpetuate the victim language or mentality, but it’s a two-way street. Churches must seek to honor and care for their pastors and staff and build healthy structures to ensure such care. Similarly, pastors and their families must make choices to be holistically healthy! We must rest, Sabbath, enjoy God, love the Scriptures not simply for the sake of sermon preparations, be in deep friendships and community, exercise, work on our jump shot, continue to be a reader and learner, love and honor our spouses, nurture our children, laugh and have fun, eat healthy and drink good refreshments [use your imagination here], examine and repent of any possible addictions, and [add your contribution here].

We need to lean on God, stop our self-sufficiency, and repent of the idolatry to please all those around us. Easier said than done, but it needs to begin somewhere. Why not now?

Some good news:

Despite the intense nature of pastoral ministry, it is also immensely fulfilling. Huh? It makes total sense to me. According to a recent survey, the top five professions are clergy, physical therapists, firefighters, education administrators, and painters/sculptors:

Clergy ranked by far the most satisfied and the most generally happy of 198 occupations. Eighty-seven percent of clergy said they were “very satisfied” with their work, compared with an average 47 percent for all workers. Sixty-seven percent reported being “very happy,” compared with an average 33 percent for all workers. Jackson Carroll, Williams professor emeritus of religion and society at Duke Divinity School, found similarly high satisfaction when he studied Protestant and Catholic clergy, despite relatively modest salaries and long hours.

“They look at their occupation as a calling,” Carroll said. “A pastor does get called on to enter into some of the deepest moments of a person’s life, celebrating a birth and sitting with people at times of illness or death. There’s a lot of fulfillment.” [read the entire article]

So while pastoral ministry is at times exhausting, draining, depressing, and overwhelming, it’s also meaningful and fulfilling.

May God grant you grace, courage, and strength.

God bless you pastors. God bless your spouses and your children. May you bless your flock and may you be blessed by them. And together, may you bless the Lord as you seek to bless His creation.

 

Eugene Cho is the co-founder (with his wife) and executive director of One Day’s Wages — “a movement of People, Stories, and Actions to alleviate extreme global poverty.” He is also the founding and lead pastor of Quest Church and the founder and executive director of Q Cafe — a non-profit community cafe and music venue in Seattle. Follow Eugene on Twitter or his personal blog.

TRUSTING GOD #7, MOSES PROTESTS HIS DIVINE CALLING

Cindy #7

MOSES PROTESTS HIS DIVINE CALLING

Aloha!

“Where God guides, He provides.” – unknown

“At times you may feel inadequate to do the very things God has created and called you to do, but you can find confidence knowing that the God who has chosen you will be with you every step of the way.”

God created us with purpose and destiny.  We may look at ourselves and feel inadequate to the call of God on our lives.  If we’re not careful, we won’t even start.  What’s stopping you from being obedient in following God? What has God called you to do?  Are inhibitions and fears are holding you back that prevent you to step out of your comfort zone of where you are into the unknown of where God wants you to go?  Place your faith, hope, and confidence in the Lord and take the first step in following Him. Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kill countless ideas and splendid plans:  that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it.  Boldness has genius, magic and power in it.

Begin it now.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

1749-1832

“The story of Moses reminds us that while we encounter doubt and worry in life, nothing God calls us to do is greater than His ability to provide.”  Moses almost missed his divine calling due to his focus on stuttering. I’m so glad God had a plan and he has a plan for us!

“Have Thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”

Mahalo,

Cindy Bice

Cindy Black Bice, Aloha Garden Bible Study

“TIMES OF REFRESHING” Garden Bible Study in Hawaii

Please contact me via my Facebook for more information:

www.facebook.com/cindy.b.bice