Behavior

Our lifestyle and our reactions should be such that others know something is different about us. When others are nudged by that still small voice inside to ask us why we are different we can testify to who He is in our life. We are not judged by who we say we are. We are judged by our behavior. ~ DickEvans.org

Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

There are some people you just love to see. They are bubbly and always positive. They turn every problem around and turn it into joy. They don't dwell on the circumstances but seem to always rise above them.

I wish I could be like them all the time. I am sure you think the same.

The more we dwell on our circumstances the worse they seem to get. Worry and fear become part of the equation. The more we think about the issue the worse it gets and we find ourselves in a constant worry mode fearing the worst.

As a believer in Jesus we have been given the Holy Spirit to live in us. He is our comforter if we let Him be so. Otherwise He just sits dormant waiting for us to acknowledge Him and seek His guidance as we walk through this earthly life.

It is one thing to know He is with us. It is another to seek His presence and guidance as we go through each day. As we look to Him we are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As we walk in them the joy of the Lord is expressed in our words, in our eyes, in our countenance. Other see Jesus in us.

Let's allow Holy Spirit to be our comforter, our teacher, today and every day forward. The change in us will be unimaginable.

No Idols

We know we are not to have any idols before Him. But we do. We put our schedule with our worldly things before our relationship with God. Some of us have not even taken time out from our earthly pleasures to start a relationship with Him! ~ DickEvans.org

It Is More

It is more than becoming a believer. It is also about becoming a follower as well. We must turn away from the evil doings all around us and continue to walk the walk God has for us, We must save ourselves from this generation. We must be followers of Christ and doers of His Word. ~ DickEvans.org

Speak to God

If we speak to God, He will respond to us. He promised that in His Word. And He does. So let's begin our day with Him. Thank Him for the day that He has made and rejoice in it. ~ DickEvans.org

Take Your Place

Jesus came to bring us out of darkness to become all that God intended for us to be. And all we have to do is reach out in faith and accept Jesus and take the position He has for us to take. Take your place in His creation today. ~ DickEvans.org

Good Things

It is not that we cannot have the good things of this life. It is that we should not be greedy about obtaining them. We should not be overwhelmed in our pursuit of them. We should not put them before our relationship with God. ~ DickEvans.org

Communicate

Communicate with God all day long. Thank Him in all you do. Ask Him to guide you in all situations. That is prayer. And as He led Jesus in all things, He will lead you. ~ DickEvans.org

Equipping the Saints Part 2

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." As new believers become mentored (discipled) and grow in their knowledge of Christ, they go out and start a new work. We are all called to preach the good news and to disciple those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The mentoring equips them to do just that by encouraging them and installing confidence as they learn who they are in Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 NLT But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. We are called priests. Whether we are in a brick and mortar church or just gathering with other believers, I believe we are all called to equip other believers to go out and do the work that Christ has laid out for us to do. Let's come beside other Christians and be that encourager. May our lives be an example of living a life in Christ in all we do and say.

Love

We need to show Love to receive Love; Love is reflected in Love. ~ DickEvans.org

Call Out

Call out for His help. God will come to your rescue and your enemies will retreat. He is your God and He is on your side. ~ DickEvans.org

Shine

Let's look past what we might have to complain about and look to the good we have gained. And in all things let God's love shine through us each day. ~ DickEvans.org

New Creature

If we are in Christ, are we not a new creature? And as such, all things are become new. So let's walk forth as that new creature, that new man bearing the fruit He has for us as we deliver His message in earnest. ~ DickEvans.org

Praise Him

We praise God in how we treat His children. We should praise Him in our prayers. We should praise Him by our daily lifestyle. We should praise in all we do, in Him. For His mercies are new every morning. ~ DickEvans.org

Others are Watchers

God's will is for us to be people of our word and to do it with all of our heart. Others are watching and our performance as believers affects their perception; what they see they believe applies to all who say they are believers. ~ DickEvans.org

Equipping the Saints - Part 1

Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

In today's society here in America, I believe many think of church as that place you go for an hour or two on Sunday mornings. They refer to it as God's house as though it was the only place He can be found. They sing some songs, listen to a brief message or a very long one, and are typically sent out with a closing prayer. The obligation has been fulfilled.

I believe the brick and mortar church is to be a gathering place for believers. After all, the church is the body of believers not a building. Around the world many churches meet outdoors in fields and even under trees. They don't spend millions of dollars to construct a beautiful building  They concentrate on their relationship with Christ and the commission He gave us. Being a believer is not about money, it's about obedience. It is about belief. It is about practicing His presence in our day-to-day lives.

Today's churches seem to be structured like a worldy business designed to gather people once a week and satisfy them with a good message. The message is seldom one to equip the saints but rather to instill fear instead of truth in who they are in Christ Jesus; who they are as believers in this age, the age of grace.

I believe the job of the pastor and his team is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. I applaud and encourage those that are doing just that. And yet many churches today work hard to bring people in through the doors which increases the number of people attending but does very little to equip them to go out and do the work Christ has laid out for us to do. If they were doing their job right, I believe a large part of the body would be leaving churches to start their own ministries on a regular basis. Once equipped there's no reason for them to stay within the four walls. New believers would be coming in and the mature going out to preach the good news to the world.

Follow It

God has the plan for us and if we allow ourselves to follow it, we will not be disappointed. His plan leads us from temptation, transforming us more and more into His image. ~ DickEvans.org

Treasure

As believers we have the Holy Spirit inside shining brightly. We are full of His light. There is no winter season in Christ. Our behavior should be an example to all of our hidden treasure. His light can only produce good and others need to see it. ~ DickEvans.org

Staying on Track

As much as we like to think that others do not affect us, they do. They take on a little of us and we take on a little of them. I believe that If we choose our friends from doing the will of the Father, we will stay on track. ~ DickEvans.org

Salvation

We must answer the call to salvation. The only way to heaven is through Jesus. He told us that, yet many don't believe. All it takes is little faith. The path is narrow, but it is open to all who will step forward in faith and believe. ~ DickEvans.org

Deeper Relatioinship

As I opened myself up to a deeper relationship with the Lord, the words I read came alive. They weren't just old stories written by men of yesterday. They were hot off the press; words of wisdom directly from God. Even as you read the same passages over again and again, He will lead you into deeper wells of understanding. ~ DickEvans.org

Holy Spirit is there

Holy Spirit is there for each one of us, encouraging and inspiring us to the greatness He has for us. But the greatness for one is not the same as for another. We are each called to different tasks, but it is the same Holy Spirit working in each of us for the benefit of all. ~ DickEvans.org

Be Not Anxious

Philippians 4: 6-7 
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

How often do we find ourselves in a situation where we are anxious? Something is coming up and we have planned and planned. We think we have gotten everything that needs doing done. Maybe it is a wedding or a family event. Perhaps a big purchase of a new car or a home. We made a list and did everything on it but we are anxious. What have we forgotten? What if...

The word speaks to us about leaning to our own understanding. And here we are doing just that. We did all the planning ourself. We put all on our own shoulders. Did we do right? That troubles us.

We have not learned to trust Holy Spirit. He will not do things for us. The ultimate decisions in life are ours to make. However, when we lean on Him and let Him guide us, the decisions are easier to make and the direction is true. For the path of the righteous is ordered by the Lord. As we give our challenges to God and trust He will guide us in the right direction anxiousness fades away and each day is filled with peace.

He is ready

Ask God and He will show you how to get the most out of everything you are involved with. The Holy Spirit is listening right along with you, and He is ready and willing to guide you.
~ DickEvans.org

He Provides

We have the creator of the universe telling us that He will never fail us; never forsake us. It doesn't get better than that. As we rest in what He has already made available and stop pushing the envelope to get more on our own power, He provides all we need. ~ DickEvans.org

Making a Buck

In a society filled with people trying to get as much money as they can with the least amount of effort possible, money can become the focal point of life. Real success comes from our relationship with God. Our focus needs to be on Him not our circumstances or our quest for financial freedom. ~ DickEvans.org

Daily Commitment

In our earthly walk and in our walk with God, true success depends on a daily commitment. It takes making choices to walk on the other side of the street, away from evil, and follow what is right and good.  ~ DickEvans.org

Temption

When we fall into a trap of temptation it is easy to try and place the blame on someone else or on circumstances. But the truth is that we would never have been tempted in the first place had it not been for the desire in us. With Holy Spirit's help, we can remove the desire and eliminate the temptation's stronghold on our life.  ~ DickEvans.org

What Goes Around

What goes around comes around. That it is just another way to say that you get what you sow. If you want a lawn with green grass, you have to plant grass seed. If you want to be loved, you must give love. And if you are mean and angry, don't be surprised if others are mean and angry towards you. ~ DickEvans.org

Believe It

Mark 11:23-24 Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  Pray pray and pray again we hear. We even do that ourselves. We pray for healing and we pray for things, perhaps even more for things. We beg God like He was our fairy godfather.  Jesus did say that if two or more are in his midst anything we pray for we will receive. Right? Or even that if we drop Jesus' name, what we are asking for will manifest in our lives. Right? God's promises in the Bible are true and they are for us. The word says they are all yes and amen. These are true but they are for born again believers. Now, anyone can become one by giving their life over to Jesus and following Him. They are true when what we are partitioning Him for lines up with His will to further the Kingdom of God. Two key things in the verses above. The first is that you do not doubt. And the second is that you believe you have received it. THEN it will be yours. God will provide all your needs. He promises us that. But we must believe without doubt, then we receive it by faith.