Can God Use You?
By Darnet | August 25, 2008
Martha of Bethany welcomed Jesus into her home. Her act of service may seem small compared to works like the apostle Paul’s missionary trips and letters. But she and her family provided a place of rest and refreshment for the Savior. This act must have been a welcome pause in His busy week.
It’s true that Jesus once corrected Martha for placing too much emphasis on the details of hospitality. But when He visited her home, He no doubt anticipated food and fellowship with people He loved.
God’s plan for every believer is made up of a lifetime of small opportunities. No matter what our career or calling may be. We should each seek ways to serve the Lord daily. We do this by ministering wherever we are to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
The Lord gives His children gifts and talents for fulfilling His purpose. So, we know He wants to use us. The question we should be asking is, “Can God use me?” That is, have we made ourselves available to follow Him in any circumstance?
The areas of service set aside specifically for us are waiting. No one knows ahead of time exactly what God will require, but we can be sure He’ll equip us with the right tools for the task.
Are you ready to say “yes, God can use me?” Tell the Lord that you’re available to work for Him in any way He desires. He will respond by placing people and opportunities in your path. Through His strength, you’ll do more to further the kingdom than you ever imagined. One day and one small act of service at a time.
Topics: Inspirational Stories | No Comments »
Give thanks to the Lord
By Darnet | August 18, 2008
“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.”
Psalm 105:1
Give thanks to the Lord.” God has given us so much! He created the world and everything in it that is good. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. He sent His Holy Spirit to lead, guide and teach us. He loves us!
The Bible says we are to give thanks to the Lord. We can praise Him for who He is — for His character, His goodness, His love and everything about Him.
It is good also to thank God for what He has done in our lives — for how He has blessed us, cared for us and provided for us and our loved ones.
Topics: Biblical | No Comments »
20 Tips to be happy
By Darnet | August 13, 2008
1. Make happiness a priority
2. Make plans to be happy
3. Set happy goals
4. Do things that make you happy
5. Set yourself tasks from which you’ll gain satisfaction
6. Play and have fun
7. Identify where your strengths lie
8. Utilize your strengths
9. Be curious
10. Be grateful and appreciate what you have
11. Learn to like and ideally to love yourself
12. Invest time and energy in to your key relationships
13. Socialise and interact with others as much as possible
14. Weed out unhelpful thoughts
15. Plant happier, optimistic thoughts
16. Live a healthy life
17. Ensure you gain adequate sleep and rest
18. Manage your time and priorities
19. Control what you can control
20. Live in the present moment.
Topics: Life | No Comments »
You are the light of the world
By Darnet | August 9, 2008
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14 - 16
Has God changed your life? He has changed my life and the lives of countless millions through history. The Bible says “if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, new has come!” The disciples in the Bible were changed by the love of Christ. Peter, who was a fisherman, became a bold apostle filled with the Holy Spirit.
God can change your life as well. Christ died for our sins; you can be forgiven. God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ. The fruits of the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can be in your life.
If you are a Christian, then you can let the love of Christ shine through your life to others.
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if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation
By Darnet | August 3, 2008
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2
Corinthians 5:17
At this time it is good to think about starting anew. This is what happens to us when Jesus Christ comes into our lives — He makes us new people spiritually! Jesus said we could be born again — we would start out fresh like new born babies when we ask Jesus into our lives to be our Savior.
You can ask God to give you a clean slate. When you accept Christ as Savior, God forgives us our sins — He casts our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.
Unfortunately we still have our old natures to contend with — we are still tempted to lie, or to cheat, or to steal, or to be immoral. But you can choose to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit — and you can overcome your old sinful nature. You are a new creature in Jesus Christ! “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”
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The fruit of the Spirit is love
By Darnet | July 29, 2008
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22, 23
When we accept Christ as our Savior, God gives us the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to live in our lives. As we let the Holy Spirit control us, He brings fruit in our lives.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Just as a tree bears fruit, so the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in our lives.
God generously gives good gifts to His children. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not dependant on your circumstances. Even when you are in tough times, the Holy Spirit can give you God’s peace, and love, and joy.
Topics: Biblical | No Comments »
The Friend Who Got Away
By Darnet | July 27, 2008
Losing a friend can be as painful and as agonizing as a divorce or the end of a love affair, yet it is rarely written about or even discussed. Some write of friends who have drifted away, others of sudden breakups that took them by surprise. Some even celebrate their liberation from unhealthy or destructive relationships. Yet at the heart of each story is the recognition of a loss that will never be forgotten.
Topics: Friendship | No Comments »
Be clean
By Darnet | July 23, 2008
“Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately the leprosy left him.”
Luke 5:13
God can do miracles even today.
When Jesus walked here on earth, He healed the sick; He raised the dead; He fed the multitudes. Christ is still alive today — and He loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
Does this mean that God will heal every person? Even when Christ was on earth, He did not heal everyone. However, we are encouraged to come to God as our loving heavenly Father and ask Him for our needs. “Is anyone among you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him….”
Even when things look impossible, we are encouraged to look to God in faith believing. Let us ask God together for one great miracle — that hundreds of millions of people all over the world would start turning to Christ.
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Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
By Darnet | July 21, 2008
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:44, 45
Love. Jesus taught us that the two greatest commands were to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength;” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
How can you love your neighbor if your neighbor is mean and cruel to you? You can do this by asking Christ’s love to fill you. As the Bible says, “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats.” Our Lord Jesus even prayed for those who were crucifying Him.
So, let us ask Christ to fill us with His love and His Holy Spirit and that His love will flow through us to touch our friends — our neighbors — our families — those around us — and even our enemies. This is only possible as we ask Christ by faith to give us His love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Topics: Biblical | 1 Comment »
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me
By Darnet | July 19, 2008
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
Everyone in the world needs to know God. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world — so that all people could be saved through Him.
As the Bible says, “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
How would you have known about Christ unless someone told you about Him? Now, it is our great joy and privilege to tell others about Christ.
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