OVERCOMING WORRY #11, CHOOSE TO REJOICE

2015-06-14 KAUI Cindy pics 103newcrop

CHOOSE TO REJOICE

Aloha!

“Ultimately, contentment is more a shift in attitude than a change in circumstances.”

Galatians 5:22-23 Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”  If you haven’t felt the joy of the Lord in an overflowing bubbling over way in a long time, then it’s time for you to “REJOICE!”

Rejoice, by definition, means “to be full of joy.”

Philippians 4:4 We are instructed to “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice!”

Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous:  and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

It’s hard to rejoice when you’re worrying.  It’s hard to worry when you’re rejoicing.  Set your heart on the Lord and choose to be thankful and rejoice.  Don’t let tests and trials steal your joy!  Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness in your life and rejoice in Him!

Psalm 57:7 “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!  I will sing and make melody!”

No matter how difficult the situation is you’re facing, the Lord wants you to have His perfect peace and overflowing joy in your life.  Paul rejoiced even in suffering.  You can focus on the hardships and how difficult things are, or you can choose to trust God is working on your behalf.

Don’t worry about what others think.  Live to bless God! Choose to rejoice in the Lord at all times!  You will find yourself being strengthened and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

“Rejoicing prepares our hearts to look for God-possibilities in every situation anchors us in His unending love, and draws us even deeper into His joy.”

Song: 2nd Chapter Of Acts, “Rejoice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfH7aZ6BIBk

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

OVERCOMING WORRY #10, REFUSE TO COMPARE

2015-10-20 3W10 COMPARE

REFUSE TO COMPARE

Aloha!

“The cure for the sin of envy and jealousy is to find our contentment in God.”

1 Timothy 6:6 “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

The moment we begin to compare ourselves with others is the moment we begin to worry. Our focus is on ourselves and on others.   It doesn’t matter if it’s regarding money, looks or personality. Worry steps in and we don’t seem to measure up.

Romans 9:20 “How can the clay to the Potter, “Why hast thou made me thus?”  When in the “Comparison mode,” we begin to feel insecure about ourselves and even begin to doubt God.  This is a very unhealthy place to be. It seems to snowball from worry to jealousy and low self-esteem. Song of Solomon 8:6 ”Jealousy is cruel as the grave.”

Know this, you were created by God and you are special!  There is only one you!  No one else can live your life but you!  When you focus on the Lord, you can’t be focusing on others.  God wants us to place our lives in His hands.

Our righteousness is as filthy rags.  Our best will never be good enough.  We will always fall short and find ourselves lacking.  We are in need of a Savior.  It’s in Him we are complete, satisfied, and whole.

When your relationship is right with God, then you can look at others through His love and rejoice when they rejoice, and mourn when they mourn. Romans 12:15

1 John 4:7, 8 “Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Philippians 2:3, 4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Song:  Third Day, “Soul on Fire” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTyqMdsTpoo

~♥~ We will be studying Book #4 from the  “Women of Faith Study Guide Series,” A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, Discovering the beautiful rhythms of life.”  By Margaret Feinberg.  This study will begin October 10, 2015 ~♥~

~♥~ You may see the first 3 Books we’ve studied by going to my brother’s web site georgewblack.com.  You will see Cindy Black Bice Blog,“Times Of Refreshing.”

Book #1 Hearing the Voice of God;

Book #2 “Trusting God;

Book #3 Overcoming Worry

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

OVERCOMING WORRY #9, TAKE COURAGE

2015-10-13 3W9 COURAGE

TAKE COURAGE

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”  Billy Graham

Aloha!

Some of us were afraid of monsters or boogy bears in our closets when we were young. It’s easy to let your imagination run wild and everything gets scarier and scarier!  My parents assured me there wasn’t anything under my bed or in my closets; but I was still afraid.

I remember my sister and I were swimming in the river and a snake was swimming towards us and she literally had to push me up the ladder to get out of the water I was so scared.  Fear can paralyze you.  If you let your imagination go, fear can cripple you and prevent you from living a fun filled life full of faith.

“Fears can never be outpaced or outdone, they must be faced and defeated with courage.”

Did the incident with the snake in the water prevent me from getting back in the river? No!  We went water skiing and had many fun times swimming in the river.  I fell off a horse one time and it knocked the breath out of me.  I got back on and went for a ride.  A Cindy quote, “You rule fear.  It doesn’t rule you.”

When we allow fear to open the door to worry, we quite possibly, are missing opportunities, dreams and the life God has for us.  God calls us to courage.  God wants us to live by faith.

By trying to avoid the things we’re afraid of, we actually are letting those fears hold us captive!  We face our fears with COURAGE.  We conquer the monsters in our lives with prayer.  Being a Christian made all the difference for me.  Praying the scriptures and trusting God allowed me to live life not without fear, but in conquering it whenever it would show its ugly face.

David encouraged himself in the Lord.  His confidence was in the Lord.  “Instead of allowing fear to get the best of him.  David chose to dwell in God’s presence and pursue God as his salvation and stronghold.  For when we seek God’s face, and choose to dwell in His presence, we can rest in safety.”

Psalm 3:8 “I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”

Psalm 118:6 “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:  what can man do unto me?”

Psalm 16:8 “I keep my eyes always on the Lord.  With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Song:  Jamie Owens Collins, Maranatha “Hearts Courageous” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYNmU4EiuI

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

OVERCOMING WORRY #8, DETERMINE TO TRUST

2015-10-06 Trust Worry 8

DETERMINE TO TRUST

Aloha!

“The decisive (or what I call the second) conversion from mistrust to trust – a conversion that must be renewed daily – is the moment of sovereign deliverance from the warehouse of worry.”  Brennan Manning

The story goes, there was a man who chose one day of the week to do all of his worrying.  All the rest of the week he wouldn’t allow anything to cause him to worry.  When he would feel anxious or concerned about different things, he would write down the worry and put it in a box.  After doing this for a period of time, he realized that when his “Worry” day came around, most things were settled.

Worry doesn’t help any situation you face.  “Rather than put our faith in God, worry asks us to place our faith in the uncertainty and to trust in what might go wrong.”  When we worry, we lose the confidence and assurance that we once had.

 Choose not to worryChoose to trust God and live a life of faith. It’s by faith that we cast our cares on the Lord and trust Him completely.  We start conquering worry with PRAYER.  Turn to the Lord and pray giving Him all your worries and trust Him with everything.

Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Like the man who took one day a week to worry, you can write down your worries and put them in a box or write them in a journal.  Faith, causes you to look to the Lord and see Him bigger than the problems.  Our perspective is, we serve a great and mighty God!

PRAY then PRAISE.  By doing so, you bless the Lord and will soon find that you are encouraged.  God inhabits our praises.  There’s nothing sweeter than the presence of the Lord.  You may feel like you’re in the middle of a storm, but remember that the Lord is with you.  Turn to Him in faith trusting Him implicitly with everything.  You can ask God for His protection, provision, and for His presence.

Choose to live a life of FAITH and not fear.  Say yes to faith and no to fear.  A visual is you open the door to faith and close the door to fear.

Years ago, my husband was on a work trip so I brought our young children to the country.  We had a wonderful farm-house and enjoyed going there.  We arrived late at night so it was very dark.  After entering the house, we heard coyotes howling (sounds like a woman’s scary scream) and fear filled the house.  Everybody wanted to sleep with me.  After telling them, “Everyone’s sleeping in their own bed,” we prayed.  I made up a little tune to 2 Timothy 1:7 “God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”  We went through the house turning on all the lights and praying that scripture in each room.  By the time we went through the whole house, you could feel the peace of God.  No fear!

When you read the Heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:1-11, you realize they had faith amidst great trials.  They kept their faith in God.  You can too!  Draw close to God today and determine to trust Him.

Psalm 147:11 “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

Song:  Aaron Shust, “My Hope is in You!”

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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

COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED

Sea Diamond Disaster

COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED

10-4-15

Pastor George W. Black

Opening Scripture:

Is 30:15 NLT “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

INTRODUCTION: Anyone that has ever spent time on the water in a boat has experienced a unique action known as drift. Whether paddle boat, ski-boat, sail-boat, or cruise ship, everything on the water experiences drift.

Unlike being on land, a boat floats on a constantly changing and moving fluid. Being on land is static. Being on water is dynamic. No matter where the boat is, it will drift from that location because of the effect of current, wind, and sometimes operator error.

Personal Experience: As a boy I once went fishing on Black Lake in Louisiana. It was a lake with lots of Cypress trees and some of the best Bream fishing I have ever experienced. I found a bed of Bream and was having a good time when the wind started blowing on that lake. Normally I would just use a paddle to hold my position, but on this day the wind was too strong. To remain in that good fishing spot I had to tie up to a Cypress Tree. When I was through fishing and ready to head home, I untied from the tree and cranked my little 3 HP outboard motor. Unfortunately my direction home was straight into the wind, and it was now blowing so hard that even with that little motor wide-open, I could make no headway…I was standing still in the water. I finally had to tie up to a tree again until the wind subsided, or I would have drifted further and further away from home.

Bass boats are equipped with electric trolling motors that are used for compensating for drift so a fisherman can remain in one spot.

As Christ-followers we can experience drift in our personal and devotional lives us to the effect of life’s currents, the wind of circumstances, and sometimes operator error. We need an “electric trolling motor” to help hold our position.

Drift is inevitable. How we compensate for it, and whether we compensate for it, is everything.

 

  1. God loves us and has a Great Big Plan for our lives, but His plan, and the plans that we “drift” into,  can be different plans.

Jer 29:11 NLT  “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jer 1:5 NLT “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Heb 2:1-4 NLT “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. {2} The message God delivered through angels has always proved true, and the people were punished for every violation of the law and every act of disobedience. {3} What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself? It was passed on to us by those who heard him speak, {4} and God verified the message by signs and wonders and various miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose to do so.”

 

2. We know we are drifting away from God’s plan for our lives:

A. When sin does not bother us anymore.

So how can we know when we’re drifting? There are some signs, and the first one is when sin does not bother us as much as it used to because we begin excusing it.

  • You begin to ignore your conscience.
  • You excuse yourself when you engage in activities that dishonor God and are contrary to His will.
  • You drift out of the will of God into a life of sin.
  • You begin to live in denial—you disagree that what you’re doing is wrong.

God’s Word is very clear about what sin is…it is falling short of God’s mark. All of us are sinners, and not a one of us should ever judge others for their failings. But God does ask us to judge ourselves. Are we growing more like Christ every day? If not, we are drifting.

B. When we lose interest in God’s Word.

The second indication that we are drifting is that our interest in God’s Word decreases. The Bible is our instruction book—so if we want to know how to live, we must look to God’s Word (see Psalm 119:9-11).We must meditate upon it or every area of our life will be affected.

C. When we neglect to pray.

The third indication that we’re drifting is that we lose our passion for prayer and stop crying out to God. The problem comes when things are going so well that we don’t feel the need to pray. However, that’s the time that we probably need to pray the most because we drop our guard and Satan attacks. Prayer is the only way we communicate with God—the navigator of our life. Without Him, we can’t fight the current or steer our way through the narrow moral, financial, relational, and spiritual channels of our life—and calamity is the result.

 D. When we lose interest in church.

The fourth indication that we’re drifting is that we stop meeting together with other Christians at church and other fellowship and ministry opportunities.

  • You avoid things that are spiritual so you don’t feel the shame of your sinful life.
  • You avoid contact with God so much that you lose your ability to hear God’s voice.
  • Your heart becomes hardened by sin and Satan’s lies.

We are called to worship, sing, preach the gospel, fellowship, pray together, and encourage one another—and there’s no excuse for missing out on that (see Hebrews 10:24-25). If you don’t belong to a church, ask God where you should go. Anytime we’re under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, God is directing us—He stops us from drifting.

E. When we don’t give our time or money to support the values we say we have.

People are often critical of churches/organizations for asking people to tithe or support them with our money. But everyone else asks for our money, and we are not offended, because it is for a “good cause.” We need to see the Great Commission as the greatest “good cause” we could ever invest in.

Besides, we need to stop complaining when we are asked to obey God’s Word. God gives us richly all things to enjoy. It is selfish of us not to give back. Obeying God’s Word is the key to blessing. However we should never give money out of manipulation. It must be done by faith in God’s Word. We must also budget accordingly.

A budget is simply telling your money where to go. You cannot miraculously give a tithe or 10% of your money to the work of Christ if you have not created a budget for this to happen. To add increased giving, you must subtract spending in some other area. Learning to live within our means includes budgeting for the tithe.

Now, some people will say, “I can’t afford to give my tithe or spend time serving God.” However, you really can’t afford not to do it. You see, when we are faithful to do as God says, He makes the remainder much more valuable to us—He multiplies what we give to Him (see Luke 6:38). However, when we drift in the stewardship of our time and money, it affects everything in our life negatively.

F. When we don’t share Jesus with anyone.

We say we’re uncomfortable speaking out about or faith….why is that? We aren’t uncomfortable telling others about our favorite restaurant, song, movie, etc. Or we may say we are so busy that we just don’t have time to talk to others about the Lord. However, what we’re really saying is they can go to Hell. We don’t want to paddle against the current of the culture, which we know is anti-Christian. It’s just not politically correct to talk to people about Jesus. Yet, understand, we have no obligation before God to be politically correct. Rather, we have a divine obligation to be Biblically correct—because if we’re Biblically correct, we’ll change people’s lives and impact the society.

G. When we no longer feel close to God.

Of course, it’s because we’re not reading His Word, praying, going to church, giving, or witnessing anymore.

We may even begin to suffer in many areas of our lives and not realize it is the result of turning away from the Lord—even though it affects your mind, emotions, health, and spirit.

What we’re losing is the most intimate relationship that we could ever have. Our relationship with God is deeper than anything else, and only God knows how to satisfy us. Why do we forsake this relationship? We do so because of the influence of other people and the lure of the world’s ways. However, when we do that, we miss God’s best for our life. And if we want His best, we must be willing to fight against the current

H. The net result of drifting away from God and His plan is:

  • We grieve God’s heart because He loves you and knows the heartache and destruction you’ll face when you sin against Him.
  • We miss God’s best for our life.
  • We influence other people’s lives negatively especially those of your children and grandchildren.

Heb 12:1-2 NLT  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. {2} We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.”

 

  1. We must guard our lives from drifting from the finished work of Christ, or we could lose everything in a shipwreck. 

It’s very easy to drift because it doesn’t take any effort; but it takes a great deal of effort to stay on track. That is why any one of us can drift. When we get tired we’re all in danger of neglecting our devotion to Christ.

AP News Report shows that drifting is dangerous because it leads to danger and disaster.

2007-04-07 10:35:07

Captain, Officers Charged in Sunken Cruise Ship – The Sea Diamond

By JOHN F.L. ROSS

“The captain and five officers of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island were charged Saturday with negligence, state television reported.

The six officers were charged with causing a shipwreck through negligence, breaching international shipping safety regulations and polluting the environment, state NET said. All were released pending further investigations.

If convicted, the officers face a maximum five-year sentence.

Nearly 1,600 people were retrieved from the sinking ship Thursday in a three-hour rescue operation after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef, but some passengers complained of an insufficient supply of life vests, little guidance from crew members and being forced into a steep climb down rope-ladders to safety.

Divers continued to search for a Frenchman and his daughter who disappeared after their cabin flooded with water when the ship struck rocks.

The 469-foot Sea Diamond struck rocks Thursday in the sea-filled crater formed by a volcano eruption 3,500 years ago off the island of Santorini, sinking about a quarter-mile off the coast, in waters of uneven depth, a few minutes before it was to dock.”

This ship drifted off-course a few minutes before it was to dock, and ended up on the rocks. We can’t be distracted in our relationship to God; He must always be our priority. Our salvation involves much more than just a moment in time when we made a decision. Rather, the Holy Spirit sealed us as children of God forever and we must understand what that really means and live it out.

We must make an effort to live in a way that honors God.

 

  1. If we have drifted, we must begin to make efforts to recover from the disaster of drifting and course-correct today.
  • We course-correct by anchoring to the Word of God.

2 Tim 2:15 MEV “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

In his book “Good or God”, John Bevere says, “When we drift, we don’t realize it. We need to constantly come back to the Word of God to anchor our hearts to truth.

Dr. CI Schofield – right way and wrong way to divide or interpret the Bible

King David said “Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against YOU!”

The noble Berean’s of the New Testament searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things they were being taught were true.

Only truth has the power to change us. Good ideas and Facebook sayings never will.

Builds faith

Gives knowledge

Provides wisdom

Jesus is the Word. We can’t have a personal relationship apart from Him and His word.

Everything we need to know—everything that will keep us safely on course—is in the Bible, and God wants to teach us through it. He lifts verses off its pages and applies them to our minds and hearts, giving us clear direction. Whenever we need counsel about what to do, we can always look to God’s Word.

  • We course-correct by obeying the Word of God.

Psa 119:15-16 NLT  “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your principles and not forget your word.”

 This means that we shouldn’t only read the Bible, rather, we should think about it, absorb it, and do as it tells us to do. In order to stop ourselves from drifting, we must obey God’s Word and make it an integral part of our life. We’ve got to be willing to submit to whatever God commands us to do.

  • We course-correct by surrendering our lives to God.

One of the wisest things we can do to keep from drifting is to submit ourselves to God before we get out of bed each morning. Begin the day with this simple prayer:“Lord Jesus, I surrender my entire life to You today. I am completely Yours.” Then, when some conflict, challenge, or temptation comes along, the Spirit of God reminds us that we have committed ourselves to obedience. It’s amazing the impact that simple prayer can make because God gives us the ability to see trouble coming from far away, and He gently reminds us that we’ve already surrendered everything to Him today. Once He shows us what we need to avoid or correct, we have the ability to yield that area to His authority.

  • We course correct by staying on guard.

 Understand that Satan is an enemy who will do whatever it takes to get you to drift away from God. Our final defense against drifting is to stay on guard against the schemes of the enemy.

2 Pet 3:17-18 NLT  “I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people. I don’t want you to lose your own secure footing. {18} But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen.”

 

  1. COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED!

First, acknowledge that you’ve been drifting away from God by confessing your sin.

Second, repent by admitting what you should be doing, which is being wholeheartedly devoted to your Lord and Savior.

Repentance is an about face—it’s a change in your lifestyle. You have not repented if you have not made a course correction. You get back on the course of godliness—the path that honors God. You surrender yourself to Him and allow Him to guide your life.

Have you been drifting? Do you lack the power and joy of the Christian life? Acknowledge to God that you’ve been drifting, ask Him to forgive your sin, and obey Him with all of your heart. If you don’t change your course, you’re ultimately going to destroy your life and end up on the rocks like the cruise ship, the Sea Diamond. If you get right with God, you’ll be back on track to experience His very best for your life, and can begin regaining everything you have lost.

Is 30:15 NLT “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”

GWB