Do you feel empty?
Many people in our society suffer from emptiness. Most people look for happiness, which is short term. Happiness is a counterfeit high that quickly goes away. They hope the next superficial satisfaction will be the one that lasts. But it doesn't. External happiness is like cotton candy: It's sweet for a moment and dissolves an instant later.
The peak of emotion is happiness, the valley is sadness and depression. Many feel dissatisfied with things in life. When we are down we look to things to bring us up.
We look to make more money, to have bigger and better things, we want to look better, to be more popular, have more power and find love for our happiness. Rushes of happiness are short lived. When we rely on outside things to make us content, we will be disappointed.
What we all really want is deep down soul-satisfying contentment that lasts a lifetime.
Philippians 4:12 says, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." The beginning is "I have learned." Contentment is something learned, it doesn't just happen.
To find true contentment:
1. Seek the source If contentment doesn't come from inside of you then it won't last. To have true inner harmony, you must get yourself right in a relationship with God. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength," Tap into the source, Jesus Christ. Ask Him in prayer to dwell in your heart.
Say this prayer: Lord I ask for the true source of contentment to come into my life, I ask for Jesus to live in my heart and for me to develop a true intimate relationship with you Lord. Amen
2. Accept God's unconditional love. Understand and know that you are loved deeply by God. This is not a temporary condition, it is forever. He truly loves you and has a place in Heaven for you for all eternity. Understand your worth to Him, you are his child. Go to Him in prayer and ask to feel His awesome love. Ask for His forgiveness for your sins and be free to feel His love.
Say this prayer: Lord, I ask you to show me your unconditional love, I ask you to please forgive me for my sins, I ask you to help me turn from my ways and be worthy of your love. Amen
3. Be grateful. Gratitude is the heart of contentment. Appreciate what you have rather than wanting what you don't have. When gratitude dominates your thoughts and feelings, you will be deeply satisfied. Thank God for all he does for you.
Say this prayer: Lord I thank you for who you are and for giving your life to save me from my sins, give me a grateful heart. Fill me with your love and give me a loving content heart, knowing that all I need to do is come to you for true contentment, never having to feel empty again. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN
Contentment has everything to do what is inside of you. True peace and happiness comes from within you. The source is Jesus Christ, accept His love and forgiveness and be grateful. Go to Him now in prayer and ask for this contentment.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Mighty to Save
"The LORD your God is with you; He is mighty to save." Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
When we received our salvation, it marked a change for us. Or at least it should have. Do you behave any differently than before you accepted Christ as your savior? If you don't, maybe it is time for you to perform a heart (and a reality) check. We all need compassion, forgiveness and kindness in our lives and the mercy of a loving God has provided those essential needs to us.
One of my all-time favorite songs is by the group Hillsong United (Australia) titled "Mighty to Save." I saw Hillsong play here in Phoenix last fall and the song just ignites your heart with the love of Jesus. The words extol the mightiness of a God who can literally move mountains if He wants to. They also sing about shining your light, so the whole world can see. My question to you is, does the world see your light shining? Is it a bright light or is it a dim one, barely glowing? Shining our light brightly is one thing that we can do to show the world the glory of God!
As the following verses tell us, "The Lord God is with you... He will take great delight in you." These words are a wonderful reassurance for us that God always has our best interests at heart. Should this not be true for us as well? Do you have friends at school, church or work that need someone to encourage them, show them kindness, or maybe show them some compassion when they are hurting? These are the things that we as Christians are called to do.
I greatly encourage you, as you go about your life, try your best to be a shining light to a broken world. The reality is that everyone needs a Savior, and He is mighty to save! Help your broken friends find Jesus today!
(www.tddm.org)
When we received our salvation, it marked a change for us. Or at least it should have. Do you behave any differently than before you accepted Christ as your savior? If you don't, maybe it is time for you to perform a heart (and a reality) check. We all need compassion, forgiveness and kindness in our lives and the mercy of a loving God has provided those essential needs to us.
One of my all-time favorite songs is by the group Hillsong United (Australia) titled "Mighty to Save." I saw Hillsong play here in Phoenix last fall and the song just ignites your heart with the love of Jesus. The words extol the mightiness of a God who can literally move mountains if He wants to. They also sing about shining your light, so the whole world can see. My question to you is, does the world see your light shining? Is it a bright light or is it a dim one, barely glowing? Shining our light brightly is one thing that we can do to show the world the glory of God!
As the following verses tell us, "The Lord God is with you... He will take great delight in you." These words are a wonderful reassurance for us that God always has our best interests at heart. Should this not be true for us as well? Do you have friends at school, church or work that need someone to encourage them, show them kindness, or maybe show them some compassion when they are hurting? These are the things that we as Christians are called to do.
I greatly encourage you, as you go about your life, try your best to be a shining light to a broken world. The reality is that everyone needs a Savior, and He is mighty to save! Help your broken friends find Jesus today!
(www.tddm.org)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Speed of Light
"You are the light of the world." -Matthew 5:14
As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world. We're supposed to be examples to the people around us who are not saved. It is our job to show this dying place a love from a Savior that will erase their deepest, darkest secrets and give them hope for a future. The only way to show the love of Christ is to act like He would.
The other day I was cruising down the highway in the city when a van passed me by. I glanced down at my speedometer and I was going around 65 miles an hour- so this guy was hauling. After he passed me, a speed limit sign showed 45 miles an hour. "Wow, he's just asking for a ticket," I snickered as he continued to pass.
After he passed through, I was amazed to see that it was a van for the handicapped, and on the back it said, "We take pride in driving safe, see you at the next stop light." I couldn't believe what I just saw. Here was a guy already breaking the law. To be speeding, displaying that type of sign on the the rear of his van, was just beyond my comprehension. Now, I don't know about you, but I started to think differently of how this person was. Sure he says one thing about driving safe, but then the next second he's speeding down the highway.
Of course it didn't take me long to realize that if I knew he was going faster than 65 there was a problem, because not only was he speeding, but so was I. Now I don't have a "drive safe" sticker on the back of my truck, but what I do have is a bumper billboard for the tailgate of my truck. I have two Christian bumper stickers and a sexy little gold plastic fish attached. So, when people see my truck, they know that a Christian is inside it, but when they see me flying down the highway drag racing a handicapped van, people will start to wonder what kind of Christian I am.
When you claim Jesus as your Savior, you also claim His name. You become a walking billboard for Christ. Everyone that passes by you knows there is something about you that sets you apart from the crowd. Knowing this, we have to strive to be as good a Christian as possible, because through our actions, we give people reasons to believe in us or to think that it's all phony. I mean, if you can't tell the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian, then what's the use? Use this week to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and let your little light shine. You would be amazed at how fast light can travel. May peace be with you.
(www.tddm.org)
As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world. We're supposed to be examples to the people around us who are not saved. It is our job to show this dying place a love from a Savior that will erase their deepest, darkest secrets and give them hope for a future. The only way to show the love of Christ is to act like He would.
The other day I was cruising down the highway in the city when a van passed me by. I glanced down at my speedometer and I was going around 65 miles an hour- so this guy was hauling. After he passed me, a speed limit sign showed 45 miles an hour. "Wow, he's just asking for a ticket," I snickered as he continued to pass.
After he passed through, I was amazed to see that it was a van for the handicapped, and on the back it said, "We take pride in driving safe, see you at the next stop light." I couldn't believe what I just saw. Here was a guy already breaking the law. To be speeding, displaying that type of sign on the the rear of his van, was just beyond my comprehension. Now, I don't know about you, but I started to think differently of how this person was. Sure he says one thing about driving safe, but then the next second he's speeding down the highway.
Of course it didn't take me long to realize that if I knew he was going faster than 65 there was a problem, because not only was he speeding, but so was I. Now I don't have a "drive safe" sticker on the back of my truck, but what I do have is a bumper billboard for the tailgate of my truck. I have two Christian bumper stickers and a sexy little gold plastic fish attached. So, when people see my truck, they know that a Christian is inside it, but when they see me flying down the highway drag racing a handicapped van, people will start to wonder what kind of Christian I am.
When you claim Jesus as your Savior, you also claim His name. You become a walking billboard for Christ. Everyone that passes by you knows there is something about you that sets you apart from the crowd. Knowing this, we have to strive to be as good a Christian as possible, because through our actions, we give people reasons to believe in us or to think that it's all phony. I mean, if you can't tell the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian, then what's the use? Use this week to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and let your little light shine. You would be amazed at how fast light can travel. May peace be with you.
(www.tddm.org)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Taming the Tongue
"...the tongue is a small part of the body, but consider the trouble it causes...the tongue...is a fire...a world of evil among the body...no man can tame the tongue...out of the same mouth come both praise and cursing. This should not be." (James 3:5-10)
Has there ever been a time in your life when someone has really hurt, yelled, or slammed you down for one reason or another? I'm sure we have all been there, we have all felt the knife being stabbed into our backs by our friends or parents. It's during these times when we so badly want to speak our heart instead of our minds.
She was all I could ever want in a girl. Sweet, pretty, funny, popular, and most importantly, a Christian. We started talking and before I knew it, we were off on a date. We didn't even do anything except go to the mall and hang out on the swings at the city park, but that was just enough to take my heart completely away from me.
I wish the story had a happy ending, but unfortunately that wasn't in God's plan. The following two days she stopped talking to me and I was too shy to confront her about it. After another long 24 hours, it was brought to my attention in a letter she wrote that, "I just want to be friends." One minute she liked me, the next......friends. Being someone's friend was always a great thing to me, but hearing those words from her sent my world crashing down.
Being able to write, I started to compose a masterpiece of my thoughts. Not only was I hurt about what happened, I also wanted to let her know how she made me feel. Halfway through the letter, I just looked down and frowned. What was I doing? Even though I wanted so desperately to put my feelings on paper, even though I wanted to say so many times what my feelings were, I had to bite my lip, put the paper and pencil away, and tame my tongue.
Friends, our mouths can be sharper than a two-edged sword. Where wounds will someday heal, a wrong word will scar a person for life. I'm sure most of us have even dealt with a situation like mine. Maybe it was a best friend who went behind your back, or a parent who wouldn't let you go out for any apparent reason. No matter what happened, I knew there was only one place for me to go with my problem, only one thing to do, and it all started by getting on my knees. When all leave us and forsake us, there will always be One with us. When a date is broken, a punch thrown, or a temper lost, He has time and time again shown me that when all else fails, the love of the Lord always shines through. So the next time you face a situation like the one I faced or just wrote about, open up your Bible to 1 Peter 5:7 and read, "Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you," because there isn't a thing in the world that God loves more than you. May peace be with you.
Your Bro in Christ,
Tony Rhoda
(www.tddm.org)
Has there ever been a time in your life when someone has really hurt, yelled, or slammed you down for one reason or another? I'm sure we have all been there, we have all felt the knife being stabbed into our backs by our friends or parents. It's during these times when we so badly want to speak our heart instead of our minds.
She was all I could ever want in a girl. Sweet, pretty, funny, popular, and most importantly, a Christian. We started talking and before I knew it, we were off on a date. We didn't even do anything except go to the mall and hang out on the swings at the city park, but that was just enough to take my heart completely away from me.
I wish the story had a happy ending, but unfortunately that wasn't in God's plan. The following two days she stopped talking to me and I was too shy to confront her about it. After another long 24 hours, it was brought to my attention in a letter she wrote that, "I just want to be friends." One minute she liked me, the next......friends. Being someone's friend was always a great thing to me, but hearing those words from her sent my world crashing down.
Being able to write, I started to compose a masterpiece of my thoughts. Not only was I hurt about what happened, I also wanted to let her know how she made me feel. Halfway through the letter, I just looked down and frowned. What was I doing? Even though I wanted so desperately to put my feelings on paper, even though I wanted to say so many times what my feelings were, I had to bite my lip, put the paper and pencil away, and tame my tongue.
Friends, our mouths can be sharper than a two-edged sword. Where wounds will someday heal, a wrong word will scar a person for life. I'm sure most of us have even dealt with a situation like mine. Maybe it was a best friend who went behind your back, or a parent who wouldn't let you go out for any apparent reason. No matter what happened, I knew there was only one place for me to go with my problem, only one thing to do, and it all started by getting on my knees. When all leave us and forsake us, there will always be One with us. When a date is broken, a punch thrown, or a temper lost, He has time and time again shown me that when all else fails, the love of the Lord always shines through. So the next time you face a situation like the one I faced or just wrote about, open up your Bible to 1 Peter 5:7 and read, "Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you," because there isn't a thing in the world that God loves more than you. May peace be with you.
Your Bro in Christ,
Tony Rhoda
(www.tddm.org)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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