All posts by georgewblack.com

CORRECTION IS RE-DIRECTION

Correction

CORRECTION IS RE-DIRECTION

Proverbs 13:18 “If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.”

No one likes criticism. It challenges our ego-inflated sense of self-importance. And while it is not all valid, the wise look for the seed of truth in criticism, and use it to fuel their quest to get better and do better.

A coach tells a pole vaulter to clean up their approach to the bar if they want to get another inch higher. Do they cop an attitude, or do they take the instruction for maximum advantage? It depends on whether they are teachable.

Even if the coach yells the instruction, it will still give the athlete the advantage they need. We have to decide what our objective is…another inch, or giving the coach a piece of our mind.

Haha. I can already tell this post won’t get a lot of likes. We all prefer the posts that promise nothing but blessings. Me too.

But seriously, criticism is a priceless gift we should treasure if we want the blessing of avoiding “poverty and disgrace.”

Ummm, priceless gift or not, my first reaction is usually defensive. Yours too, right? Criticism is one way we realize we haven’t really died to ourselves yet. Jesus teaches us to take up our cross, which means death to self. No, our flesh is often very alive. Recognize it! When we are dead, nothing will offend us.

I’m not there yet, but I am aware that is the destination. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165

We all have blind spots we need to stop protecting. They are the cause of our plateaus and even failures. They may be standing in the way of God answering some of our most passionate prayers. Don’t be afraid. YOU CAN STILL CHANGE! You will keep changing your entire life. The question is, in which direction will you change?

Correction is not rejection, it is re-direction. Only God sees the map of our life from above. When the GPS tells you to “turn here”, you don’t get mad at it do you? No, you follow directions to get where you want to go.

The same is true with God’s direction. The next time God redirects you, say thank God I didn’t waste any more time going in the wrong direction.

It is doubtful that many of us today would make it as an actual disciple of Jesus Christ, myself included. To be under the direct discipleship of Jesus was challenging at best, and sometimes brutal, because He was always about transformative life-change.

Read the Gospels in The Message translation. I bet you missed the true drama of the daily life with Christ. The Man said what He meant, and to hang with Him was a roller coaster ride. It still is. But it’s all good, because it is all FOR our good.

Jesus changed the life of His disciples forever through discipline and honest correction. He is still calling disciples today to come and follow Him. The US Army used to say “Be all you can be in the Army.” The truth is, you will never become all you were created to be outside of God’s “army.”

Get committed to a good Bible teaching church and let spiritual leaders train you in the Word of God to be a Christ-follower. You have to show-up to grow-up. It will be the hardest, and most rewarding thing you ever do.

Remember “if you accept correction, you will be honored.”

GWB

TRUSTING GOD #2, ISAAC’S UNFORGETTABLE LOVE STORY

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ISAAC’S UNFORGETTABLE LOVE STORY”

Aloha!

“What-ifs cause worry and stress.  As children of God, we can walk in obedience and trust, knowing that God has all the details under control.”

Abraham desired for his son, Isaac, to have a wonderful wife such as he hadHe sent his trusted servant to find Isaacs perfect wife!  I’m sure there were many“what-ifs” going on.  What-if the servant couldn’t find the perfect bride?  What-ifshe didn’t want to come back with him?  God is sovereign and it all worked out from the greatest to the least detail! 

The “What-ifs,” can cause much distress in our hearts, minds, and emotions, if left unchecked!  Rather than asking “What-if…” we need to CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD, pray, walk in faith, and follow God’s directions fully and faithfully. 

God is still sovereign today.  “What-if God has something better than we ever expected waiting for us around the next corner?”  Let’s pray and trust God! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I used a lamp as an example of being plugged into or Trusting God.  When it’s plugged in, it will turn on!  Trusting God is a choice.  Remember the little song,Psalms 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in Him, I will trust in Him, I will trust in Him…”  Choose to trust God, even when you’re afraid, knowing He’s right there with 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

LIFE AFTER LIFE ANALOGY

LIFE AFTER LIFE ANALOGY

by Hungarian writer Útmutató a Léleknek:

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something, and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied, “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

TRUSTING GOD #1, NOAH’S BIG BOAT ADVENTURE

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TRUSTING GOD #1, NOAH’S BIG BOAT ADVENTURE

Aloha,

“Worry is like a rocking chair; it’ll give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.”  Unknown

All of life is full of change.  If we’re not careful, we may get caught up in challenging situations and find ourselves both worrying and very stressed!  During these trying times, we choose to TRUST God!

We don’t stick our head in the sand and pretend the storms of life aren’t raging.  What we do is TRUST in the almighty God who is with us through every storm of life! You may see crashing waves thru the lens of a camera, but the closer a person is standing to you in proximity, the waves visually recede and your focus changes.

My heart’s desire for all of you is that you to find peace with God and learn to TRUST Him completely with your whole life. As you relinquish control and let Him have the steering wheel of your life, you will find that His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in your weakness.  Take courage, we serve a mighty God!

Genesis 6:  God was grieved with mankind and was sad.  Noah was different. He walked with God and was blameless.  Aren’t you glad he didn’t follow the crowd!  He chose to obey God and built an Ark with God’s specifications. He followed God’s instructions to the “T”! 

It rained and flooded the whole earth and all who escaped were Noah and his family and his children’s spouses and all the animals that were on the Ark.  When Noah stepped on dry land, he worshiped God! 

Let’s live our lives according to the Master Designer and do it His way.  

Have a great week and remember to TRUST GOD implicitly! 

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

#12, GOD CALLS US TO WAIT

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GOD CALLS US TO WAIT

After reading the title of the final chapter of our book, I said, “Can’t we just skip this one Lord?”  Of course the answer was, “No.”

“God often doesn’t answer us in the way or within the time frame that we would like.  This is a normal part of the spiritual journey, but we should take heart.  If we remain faithful, we will have a story of God’s goodness in our lives that we would not have any other way.”

 Patience is necessary and vital in the Christian walk.  It’s a fruit that we choose to let grow in our lives.  When you plant a seed, it takes time and care for it to grow.  I have a beautiful garden, but it didn’t get that way over night. 

We live in an “Instant,” society.  With a touch of the fingers you have foodcooked in seconds, messages can be sent world-wide, or access to unlimited information!

James 1:4 (NKJV) “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

As we wait on God, we are placing our HOPE and TRUST in HIM and HIS FAITHFULNESS! 

We need to remember God is faithful and His timing is perfect.  When God calls us to wait, we must wait. 

If you have to miss a lesson, you can find it here on this blog.

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

#11, GOD CALLS US TO FAITH

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GOD CALLS US TO FAITH

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The story goes that a young man, following in his father’s footsteps as alumberjack, wanted to cut down more trees than the other men.  He set his sights and figured he could work harder each day and progressively cut down more trees each day.  The opposite occurred.  Each day he cut less trees no matter what he did or how hard he tried.  He tried holding the ax differently, chopped differently, etc.

After several weeks passed, he was frustrated and weary so he asked a burly seasoned lumberjack what he was doing wrong.  The lumberjack observed that he had calluses on his hands, muscles, and was very strong.   He figured the young greenhorn was giving it his all and then asked him when he last sharpened his ax. 

We may be following God with great passion and desire to do everything we think He wants us to do and yet find ourselves spinning our wheels and actuallyfrustrating the grace of God. Galatians 2:20, 21 We can sharpen our spiritual axes by remembering the promises of God. 

We may feel discouraged, but God’s Word is full of promises that sharpen us as we follow Jesus.  GOD IS CALLING US TO FAITH.  Get this, GOD IS CALLING US TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND ALL HE CAN DO THROUGH US!  Remember Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit says the Lord.” Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  There is an acronym F.R.O.G.  It stands for Fully Rely On God! 

We have a race to run, a good fight of faith to win, and a life to live.  The next time you find yourself frustrated and getting nowhere, stop and examine what’s missing.  Let’s Fully Rely On God and walk this Christian walk by the Faith of the Son of God who loves us more than we could ever imagine! 

If you have to miss a lesson, you can find it here on this blog.

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

#10, GOD CALLS US TO OBEDIENCE

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GOD CALLS US TO OBEDIENCE

“The strength and happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going that way too.”  Henry Ward Beecher

What good is it to hear God’s voice if we aren’t going to OBEY?  God blesses OBEDIENCE.  God expects obedience with a good attitude.  In Isaiah 1:19 we find that the willing and obedient eat the good of the land.  We must take up our own cross and follow Jesus every day.

If we choose to disobey God, it can directly affect us and our families in a very negative way.  How many times has God spoken to you in His still small voice and rather than obeying what God was telling you to do, you justified your actions?  We may have a seemingly good excuse, but disobedience is disobedience.  When we are disobedient, we are actually in REBELLION and find that we need achange of heart. 1 Samuel 15:1-9 Saul justified what he wanted rather thanobey what God was saying through the prophet Samuel.  His disobedience cost him the throne!

To know and love God incorporates obedience.  We are not servants, we are heirs and his children.  As we grow in Christ, it’s imperative to “listen and obey,” when God speaks to us.  Luke 22:42 Even Jesus prayed, “…not my will, but yours be done.”  Philippians 2:13 One of my prayers is for the Lord to work in me to will and to do of His good pleasure.

When a parent corrects their child and the child continues to wine, beg, and even throw a temper tantrum, then that child is being rebellious and disobedient.  Quick correction can take care of that attitude and God does the same with us. Let’s listen and obey choosing God’s will over ours!

If you have to miss a lesson, you can find it here on this blog.

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

#9, GOD CALLS US TO KNOW AND LOVE HIM

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GOD CALLS US TO KNOW AND LOVE HIM

Aloha!

The first four chapters were about Hearing God’s Voice.  The second four wereabout the ways God Speaks.  The last four chapters are on the Wonder of God’s voice.  Threaded throughout the book is God desires a close relationship with us. 

What do you do when you hit a road-block in your life and it seems like there’s no answer in sight?  There are different seasons in our lives and the winter seasoncan be quit bleak at times.  We may feel like the heavens are brass.

Mark Batterson pastors a congregation in D.C. came to such a road block in his life.  Needing a place for his growing congregation to meet posed many challenges for him.  He was greatly discouraged and needed breakthrough.  Batterson took 40 days to seek GodHe read a new Bible through cover to cover and prayed. He went from God seeming very distant to where God spoke to himthrough the scriptures.  Through this time, he realized that God doesn’t want us to do things for Him, but wants us to thankfully receive what He’s already done for us.  We can in turn be like a mirror and reflect that love to others.  He was unable to purchase a building, but with the Lord’s help, came up with the idea to use theaters to meet in.  Today many churches also do this. Batterson observes that God doesn’t call us to be religious where we focus on doing things for God.We as Christians receive what Jesus has done and respond by reflecting His love to others.  God desires a close relationship with each of us.

TAKE TIME FOR GOD!  Just a few moments every day can make life-changingdifferences for each of us!  JESUS wants to be our FIRST LOVE.  Step away from everything that’s distracting and pulling at you and spend quality time praying and reading your Bible. SEEK GOD, you will be so thankful you did!  Scriptures:  Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, Matthew 6:33, Revelation 2:4

If you have to miss a lesson, you can find it here on this blog.

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

#8 – GOD WHISPERS

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GOD WHISPERS

When telling a close friend or loved one something specifically meant for them to hear, you may lean close enough to whisper it to them.  How does God talk to you?  I have found that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and treats us respectfully as ladies and gentlemen.  Most of the time, God speaks to me in a still small voice that could be considered a “whisper.” 

1 Kings 19:1-18 Elijah had been a powerful prophet, who with God’s help, defeated the pagan prophets.  He now ran for his life in fear of Jezebel.  Elijah’s eyes were on his own inadequacies and on Jezebel.  He was focused on how powerfully wicked she was and he feared for his life.  ~When our focus is on ourselves, others, or overwhelming circumstances, we are fretful and hopeless.  Thank God, He has mercy on us and intervenes in spite of ourselves!~ When Elijah could run no more in his own strength, he fell asleep and awakened to an angel who fed him.  Elijah became hopeful and yet complained to the Lord of his miserable circumstances. ~His eyes still weren’t focused on the Lord.~

God told him to wait for Him to pass by.  I imagine Elijah was desperate andwaited for God with great expectation.  He heard many loud sounds as he waited to hear God’s voice:  there was wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but Godwasn’t in any of these.  He didn’t give up and leave, but stayed and kept listening because he knew God would speak to him.  Then, in the sheer silence, God spoke in a gentle whisper that captured Elijah’s attention.

God let Elijah know that he wasn’t alone and met his needs on many levels:  spiritually, physically, emotionally, and in relationships.  He does the same with us.  God desires a relationship with each of us and cares about every detail in our lives. God speaks to us in a comforting and loving way, in a whisper.  Weneed to be still and expectantly listen for Him.

If you have to miss a lesson, you can find it here on this blog.

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

GOD’S GOT YOU!

Rain Forrest

“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile.” Ps 65:9

We can learn from God’s design and care of the Earth, and be encouraged that He will take care of us.

I find it fascinating that God’s Word is literally true. And when I discover some of the actual mechanisms that God has engineered into His Creation that cause these things to happen, I am humbled that I ever doubt His wisdom.

How does rain water make the earth “rich and fertile” as Psalm 65:9 declares? I am sure there are many reasons, but two I am aware of are the effects of lightning, and also the atmospheric transport of dust from one continent to another. Really? Read on.

Science has discovered that lightning produces reduced phosphorus in the atmosphere that is carried by the rain to the earth for use by microbes. In other words, lightning helps fertilize the ground. Worldwide, lightning occurs 40-50 times per second, or about 1.4 billion flashes per year. The word “amazing” doesn’t even begin to describe our awe.

Here are some source texts I ran down for those interested.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spark-for-life-lightning/

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n8/abs/ngeo580.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning

Now if you think lightning is crazy-amazing, consider how God has engineered dust in Africa to fertilize the Amazon rain forest in South America. Really!

Basically what happens is dust is picked up by winds from a dry lake bed in Chad that contains huge deposits of dead microorganisms that are loaded with phosphorus and other fertilizers. Then a southern Jetstream transports it across the Atlantic Ocean where rains then deposit it into the Amazon, about 22,000 tons per year, which roughly matches the amount that the Amazon loses from rain and flooding.

Is this not mind-blowingly cool, or what?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150224102847.htm

So here is what I got out of this one short verse in Psalms 65:9…God has placed you and me on a planet that is alive with His wisdom and divine engineering. AND ALL OF THIS is to let us know that if He takes care of watering the earth in such a way as to make it rich and fertile, how much more will He take care of you and me.

GOD’S GOT YOU!!!

Matt 6:25-34 NLT ““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

GWB