Consequences

The old saying "There is no such thing as a free lunch" is really true. And it comes right down to the fact that we can't ignore God and get away with it. There is always a consequence for our actions. ~ DickEvans.org

Endurance

Even as believers we still go through day-to-day trials in our lives. They were here for us to go through before we became a believer and they are still going to be there today. The difference is that He is with us. He will never forsake us. He is in every one of those trials with us and will see us through them one at a time. We never have to be alone again. ~ DickEvans.org

His Mark

Because we are believers in Jesus Christ, God has saved us. And therefore He has marked us with His mark. He has given us the Holy Spirit, the comforter to live in us. ~ DickEvans.org

Remember

Each morning we should remember who God is and how we fit into the big picture; His plan for our life. We need thank Him for every good thing and thank Him for being with us while we go through the trials of this earthly existence. And we need to hang out with others that know who He is, others that are the path of the godly. ~ DickEvans.org

Control

When the chips are down, do we show the love of Christ? When we are no longer in control of our words, are our words encouraging and uplifting? Is the face that others see the face of Christ in us?  ~ DickEvans.org

Get Behind Me Satan

Matthew 16:23 KJV
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

He was not speaking to Peter, but to the enemy that was giving Peter false information. The same enemy that invades our thinking helping us to make wrong choices in life.

There are Christians that believe that Jesus turned Peter over to Satan when Jesus said "Satan get behind me." Some also believe that Jesus turns us over to Satan to teach us things. I don't understand where they are coming from. Perhaps I am the one wrong.

As I see it, now that we are born again and have Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ living in us how can Jesus turn himself over to Satan?

Holy Spirit awakens us to things we need to put aside and we have the opportunity to cast those things out as He changes us to be more more like Him. I believe He allows us to mess up and through those bad choices teaches us and we learn from those experiences.

Father God, thank you for Your mercy and Your grace. Thank You for sending Holy Spirit to live in us and teach us all things. Thank You for Your unending love even when we don't deserve it. In Jesus name we pray.

Know His Ways

We should remind ourselves how much God loves us, no matter what choice we take. And to know His ways, we must be in communication with Him. We must be reading His Word each day and continually improving the relationship we have with Him. For isn't it through relationship that we build friendship and trust? ~ DickEvans.org

Criticism

Criticism given with love and taken in and treasured as something of value, can change us. It speaks to our blind spots, to those areas that only others can see. We make mistakes and others point them out and without mistakes how can we grow? ~ DickEvans.org

The Source

The source of all truth lies in the greatest book of all times, the Bible. Every time we read it with an open mind and an open heart it speaks to us in a new way. Commit yourself to instruction. Allow it to instruct you each day. Allow it to fill the ears of your heart with new revelation. ~ DickEvans.org

The Plan

God's plan is not our plan and we must remain open to his nudging. We need to let the Lord show us the way. We need to be open for the signs that He places along our path. We need to let Him be in charge. ~ DickEvan.org

Prosperity

Proverbs 12:11
Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time. (NLT)

Prosperity is not only measured with fatter wallets. It can come in the form of new relationships. It can come in forms you cannot even imagine. Let's continue to pray for prosperity. Let us not be idle; let us be open to what the Lord sends our way. ~ DickEvans.org

Be Refreshed

We need to love and give to others because that is who we are. It has nothing to do with a "what's in it for me" attitude. As the proverb says, "those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed". It is time for all of us to be refreshed. ~ DickEvans.org

Honorable and Right

Philippians 4:8 
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

Every once in a while I have a bad dream. Things in the dream are just not going correctly; not happening in a Godly fashion. The dream might even depict my life as it could be if everything was wrong. The dream is a distorted view of my life with relationships turned around. We used to call these "pizza dreams" because it seemed like every time we got stuffed on pizza, eating way more than we should have, our dreams would be weird.

If we are not thinking about things that are pure and lovely and admirable it probably has something to do with who we are hanging around with, the television shows and movies we are subjecting ourselves to, and the books and websites we are reading. It is pretty simple when you think about it in these terms: Hang around with a thief and you will soon be thinking it is fine to be one.

Think about it. If you worked with someone that was taking cash out of the register all day long and getting away with it, you might think about doing the same thing.

As we spend our time with those that are honorable and right, those that are doing things excellent and worthy of praise, then we will be also.

We Choose

When God speaks we need to act on what He is saying. And it is always up to us. We always get to choose to do what He tells us or to ignore what He tells us. We are ultimately responsible for our actions. ~ DickEvans.org

Reminders

We need to remember and follow His advice and commands all the time. We need to tie a string on our finger. We need to have reminders all around to help us get into His word, to remind us to pray and whom to pray for. Put God in your to do list today. ~ DickEvans.org

His Nature

We can choose to display God's nature. The more time we spend in relationship with Him, the closer we get to being transformed into His image and likeness in all that we do. ~ DickEvans.org

Windows

Christ gave us a new window that day many years ago when He went to the cross for each and every one of us. The Window was opened that day for each of us to access eternity in heaven with Him. The choice became ours. ~ DickEvans.org

It is Time

As we read God's word, we will know more about our Lord and our relationship with Him will grow and our faith will increase. It is time we got back to the basics of faith. It is time we got back to the basics of our Bible. It is time we got back to daily readings of His words to us. ~ DickEvans.org

Step Out

It is time that we stop hiding in a corner about our beliefs. It is time that we speak out. God makes a way for us. We need to open our eyes and ears and step forth into the way He has made and profess the good news to all by telling our story. Our story of our belief in the risen savior will change lives. ~DickEvans.org

Don't Worry

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

How will the bills get paid this month? Will I get that promotion that they promised me? What will my final grade be? All my friends are sick. Will I come down with it too?

We tend to worry about little things and about big things. Reasons to worry are all around us. When 1999 was wrapping up some people were so worried about what would happen they bought a week's worth of food supplies and stocked up on water.

Being prepared and being cautious is not the same as being worried. We are to be wise in all that we do. We should not go on a long trip in our car without a way to purchase gasoline or food and perhaps have extra water, a flashlight, and batteries. That would be unwise and downright foolish.

Now Paul is not telling us that we should be irresponsible and foolish. He is not saying that we should stick our heads in the sand and just expect God to do everything for us.

Can God make that tank of gasoline go further than it normally does? Sure He can. He will supply all our needs as we walk forth in what He has for us to do.

The key here is that we are never alone. He is always walking with us on our day to day journey. He is right there with us at every turn ready to comfort us and guide us. All we have to do is listen.

He abides in us and we abide in Him. Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ lives in us! And yet we seem to forget that as we go about our earthly journey. As we make choices we may tend to rely on our knowledge first and not listen to what Holy Spirit is trying to tell us. We are focused on our own wisdom. It is His  wisdom we need and all of it is right here for the asking. And if when we believe that, then we will experience God's peace.

Knowing He is always there means that we know that we never have to worry about anything.

Freedom

Isn't it time to start doing things because of love and not out of a desire for some payback? Let's start thinking about the freedom our Lord has called us to. Let's start serving others out of love, His love that is in each of us. ~ DickEvans.org

Transformation

Transformation does not just happen. We must play an active part in the process each day. ~ DickEvans.org

Lost Sheep

What about that idea we had last year and dismissed because it was out of our comfort zone? When Holy Spirit brings it back to us at a later date and we embrace it this time around, could this be our "lost sheep"? Don't avoid the lost sheep. Embrace them with wisdom always asking Him for guidance in all that you do. ~ DickEvans.org

Daily Word

I believe the best way to follow Him is to get into His word daily. It will change your life. It will transform you from your old, sinful nature into His nature. It will get you one step closer each day to becoming that person that was created in His image and likeness. ~ DickEvans.org

Listen

If we let our sinful nature control us in any way we are opening the door for the next thing and the next and the next. In all we do we must choose life, we must choose to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. ~ DickEvans.org

Reaction

When life deals you a problem, a situation that suddenly turns things upside down, what do you do? Do you react out of an Adamic nature, in a worldly, argumentative, revengeful, legalistic way? Or do you react in a way that reflects God's nature, your new nature reflective of who you are in Christ? ~ DickEvans.org

The Kingdom of God

Mark 1:14-15 NKJV

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."

John the Baptist called people to repent and after His baptism by John, Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was at hand as it is for us today. The only thing that separates us from it is our belief. The kingdom of God is not some physical place. It is within you and it is where the abundance of resources reside.

John 3:3 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

As long as you have received Jesus as your Savior, that kingdom is in you! Your spirit man is born again and Holy Spirit is with you. As we practice His presence within us acknowledging who He is and allow Him to work through us the miraculous becomes reality all around us.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. That same power is available to work miracles in our lives and in the lives of all those we come in contact with, all those we prayer for face to face and afar.

Romans 14:17 NKJV

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Luke 17:21 NKJV

For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.

Father God, help us live life knowing who abides in us. Help us know who we are in Christ as we walk forth in this world allowing Holy Spirit to work through us. May we be a light that shines in the darkness all around us. In Jesus name we pray.

Better Way

When it comes to doing God's work, how often do we think we have a better way? After all this is the 21st century and things are different. With technology the way it is we can even stay home and never have to face anyone. Do we really think we can do all His work right over the Internet? ~ DickEvans.org

His Light

The more baggage we have hanging on from the past that we can unload, the more of God's light can shine through us. And it is not the words we say to others that counts as much as the light that they see from us day by day. ~ DickEvans.org

Relationship

A set of rules or laws that we follow because we are "supposed to" is not relationship with God the Father. That is religion and God did not ask for religion, He asked for a relationship with us. ~ DickEvans.org

Work Together

Say what is on your heart and say it in love. It will be appreciated. You see we all want to become more "new" than "old". But unless we work together the more that process will take longer than necessary. ~ DickEvans.org