Includes...
One of the most important things I feel God has been wanting me to teach my children lately is a concept called Points, Waves, and Cycles. This concept is found everywhere in science. It is a powerful principle God has built into the world. Here is how the principle works...
Shifts or changes at or in one specific point, leads to waves or surges of events/energy, that lead to bigger cycles of things.
One little shift for the good or bad can lead to bigger waves that lead to bigger cycles whether vicious or virtuous. For example, yesterday my daughter and I were studying earthquakes. A shift at one point(the epicenter), leads to surges of seismic waves, and these waves move out in circular fashion leading to destruction, tsunamis, etc. The same is true with a drop of water as can be seen in the picture above.
This principle is a gift God has given us and here is how I think we can apply it...
We all have issues and problems that need to be solved in our lives,...
This is a time of year when God often opens doors to the next level. But the next level often doesn't look like what we think it's going to look like. As God opens doors it will take faith to go through, because there might be the temptation to doubt whether you have what it takes. But, the key is to look at what he can do through you.
The next level will probably require a greater level of work, productivity, and responsibility but not in the way we typically think. The next level with God is about learning how to get out of his way more and let him increase your work, productivity, etc. It is about learning to rest, trust, and rely on him more so that he can flow more through you. You may or may not have what it takes... but he does and nothing is impossible for him.
I am praying for you.
Daniel
At our local church there was once a sermon series on getting both bigger and smaller at the same time. As any organization or community grows bigger it must also grow smaller at the same time by paying attention to the little things going on in peoples lives.
It's amazing to think about how big God is but also how interested he is in the little details of our lives. Sometimes it's the little thoughtful details that mean so much. When we see God come through in both the big and the little things it helps us to know his love and faithfulness even more. Small acts of kindness and love are much more powerful than we often think.
In today's communion let it be a time of gratitude for how big God is, but also how much he cares about the little things in our lives. And today we are asking for his help to become more like him in this... To grow and expand but to also grow in the little thoughtful details and acts of love that can mean so much to others.
I am praying...
In Nehemiah 9:38 after the people returned from captivity in Babylon they made a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and affixed their seals to it. Their agreement was to follow all of God's laws, which they could never do, and it didn't turn out well. Then in Nehemiah 10:28-29 it says....
“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.
On the surface this seems like a good thing that they wanted to follow God's law, but not by binding themselves with a curse.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:36-37...
Nor...
The other day I was reading in Nehemiah about the people repairing the walls of Jerusalem. One of their goals was to close all of the gaps, because walls are for protection. Walls keep things out that are not supposed to be coming in. One small gap, can lead to ripple effects, which can lead to bigger cycles of things. Which is why it's important to close gaps in our lives. But, this is really hard to do on our own.
While thinking about this Isaiah 60:18 came to mind. It says, "No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise."
In the original Hebrew language the word for salvation is "Yeshuah."
Yeshuah is the name of Jesus in Hebrew and it means... Salvation, deliverance, prosperity, security, and victory.
So the verse could be read like this... You will call your walls Jesus and your gates Praise.
When Jesus is our wall there is no gap to close. We are ...
A few weeks ago I was doing science homework with one of my daughters and we were discussing producers vs consumers. Producers are green plants that take in sunlight and convert the light into energy that animals feed upon. This led to a discussion about how we are to be like trees planted by living water. In a similar way we are supposed to convert God's light within us into energy and much more. God is light and he lives within us. Here is a very important statement that I am going to repeat a couple of times...
Because God is light and everything is hidden within him. All of the wisdom, knowledge, energy, love, peace, patience, health, finances, we will ever need is hidden in the light but we must know how to access it and convert it into practical things in our lives. For example, there is an unlimited inexhaustible supply of health and energy in you...
Have you ever done something nice for someone and gotten no response from them?
In 2 Chronicles 32 it says that after God healed King Hezekiah and added 15 years to his life his heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness God had shown him. But, he did later repent of his pride. Pride can lead to a positioning of entitlement rather than being grateful for the things God and others do for us. Pride can lead to a hard rocky heart that is not responsive.
Romans 2:4 says it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. It is kindness, grace, and treating people better than they deserve that softens hearts which leads to the willingness to change.
This has two applications for our lives. First, staying positioned in humble gratitude can keep our hearts soft and responsive to the kindness and grace God and others show us. And, when dealing with difficult people remembering that it is kindness, patience, and grace that leads to the willingness to change. ...
In 2 Chronicles 20 is the story of King Jehoshaphat and his people being attacked by a great army. The king turns to God and prays asking for his help. Then he ends his prayer by saying... "God, we don't know what to do but our eyes are on you."
After his prayer God speaks to the people and tells them, "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
The people then started praising and thanking God, and God set an ambush and destroyed their enemies.
Recently in our communion meditations we have been talking...
A few nights ago on our Partner's Zoom call I was reminded of Psalm 103, which has some amazing promises. In today's communion meditation it is a time to receive these promises from God.
Here is Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the he...
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
The fall season is a time when God often begins to move things around with transfers and transitions. The yearly cycle has come to a close and is starting over, which means its time to transition to the next level. Time and space are connected which means that as time moves forward another year we must keep repositioning to be in the correct place where God's grace is flowing.
It is during this season that God often opens doors to the next level. But, here are some things to keep in mind about the next level. When God opens doors it will always take faith and courage to go through, because there will be a higher level of work on the other side. But, not the kind of work we typically think of. The work is allowing God to do his work through you, which means a higher level of learning how to get out of his way by resting in him.
When doors open it is also important to pay attention to peace on the inside. Peace should be ...
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