TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST

“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” (Romans 12:2 Phillips)

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. 

-- Anne Lamott  

#6390

CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE

Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last -- and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you."   (John 15:16 NIV)

The NFL Draft is currently underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you live in Northeast Wisconsin, as I do, you can’t miss it. In the NFL Draft, players are chosen not just for their skills but for the potential they bring to a team. Coaches and scouts see something unique in each athlete, and teams select them with a purpose in mind. Similarly, God has chosen you -- not because of your qualifications, but because of His love and His plan for your life. He has appointed you to bear fruit that will last, to make an eternal impact in His Kingdom.

Just as a drafted player commits to training, teamwork, and fulfilling their role, we are called to embrace our purpose with dedication, also committing to training, teamwork and fulfilling our role in the Kingdom. God’s choice is not the end of the story -- it’s the beginning of a journey where we grow, serve, and glorify Him.

And with His current pick, God chooses ________________ (fill in your name)! How can you live out the purpose for which God has chosen you today? 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6102

ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM

"The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, 'Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the King of Israel!'"   (John 12:12-13)

Reflecting on the scene of Palm Sunday, we see a crowd gathered for a momentous occasion. Each person waved their palm branches, driven by unique motivations and desires. Political activists saw in Jesus the potential for revolution, believing His supernatural power could liberate them from Roman oppression. Others, consumed by personal grief, longed for His miraculous healing touch for their sick and dying loved ones. Some were merely curious onlookers, seeking entertainment in the spectacle, while true followers hoped He would establish an earthly kingdom.

Yet, amidst this multitude with varied agendas, Jesus stood alone in His understanding of the true purpose of His journey. He knew that His path led to the ultimate sacrifice -- He was heading to Jerusalem to die for humanity's redemption. Jesus had a mission, while everyone else had an agenda.

This contrast invites us to examine our own hearts and motives. Are we approaching Jesus with our own agendas, seeking what He can do for us? Or are we aligned with His mission, surrendering our will to His greater plan?

Take a moment to quiet your heart and seek alignment with Jesus' mission. May we not be swayed by personal desires but be steadfast in following Him, understanding that His purpose transcends our individual ambitions. In this coming Holy Week, let us remember His sacrifice and commit ourselves to His divine mission.

-- SOUND BITES Ministry, compiled from a variety of sources 

#6092

THE KEY TO KNOWING GOD’S HEART

“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”  (Romans 12:2 Phillips)

We learn God’s will by spending time in His presence. The key to knowing God’s heart is having a relationship with Him. A personal relationship. God will speak to you differently than He will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, that doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. God used a fish to convict Jonah. Does that mean we should have worship services at Sea World? No. God reveals His heart personally to each person.

For that reason, your walk with God is essential. His heart is not seen in an occasional chat or weekly visit. We learn His will as we take up residence (abide) in His house every single day… Walk with Him long enough and you come to know His heart.

-- Max Lucado in “The Great House of God”

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”  (John 8:31-32 ESV)

REMEMBER WHAT WE CELEBRATE

"But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir."  (Galatians 4:4-8)

On this eve of Christmas, whether you feel yourself to be surrounded by earthly blessings or whether you feel your blessings to be few, set aside those thoughts and concerns long enough to remember what it is that we are celebrating: God’s loving plan to bring you home to Himself, through the gift of Jesus Christ.  

-- Nancy Guthrie in “Advent: Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room” 

#6016

 

A CONSTANT GUIDING PRESENCE

Whenever I hear of a Christian copping out of some undertaking for God in order to wait to learn God's will for his or her life, I have to ask, "Where in the Bible does it tell you that God will reveal the divine plan for your whole life?  It seems to me that it's just the opposite.  The Bible lets us know that God keeps us in a constructive and spiritually edifying state of dependency.

"There are two ways I could tell you how to get to my house," I tell them.  "I could draw you a map, and you could use the map to figure out how to get to my house on your own.  You might or might not get there, depending on how good a mapmaker I am and how good you are at reading maps.  But better than giving you a map would be if I got in the car with you and guided you all the way.  If I showed you every road to take and every turn to make as we drove along, you would get to my house without any trouble."

I then go on to explain that God directs our lives by being a constant guiding presence, rather than by giving us directions to follow by ourselves.  We are not given a road map for the rest of our lives, because that would enable us to chart life's course without leaning on the Lord.  Rather, as it says in John 16:13, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to us with the promise that the Spirit will be a guiding presence in our lives. 

-- Tony Campolo in “Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God”

#5735

TRUSTING IN GOD’S CARE

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)

God cares for you! Not only will He never leave you -- that’s the negative side of the promise -- but He cares for you. He is not just there with you, He cares for you. His care is constant -- not occasional or sporadic. His care is total -- even the hairs on of your head are numbered. His care is sovereign -- nothing can touch you that He does not allow. His care is infinitely wise and good so that in the words of John Newton, “If it were possible for me to alter any part of His plan, I could only spoil it.”

We must learn to cast all our anxieties on Him. Dr. John Brown says of this verse, “The figurative expression ‘cast,’ not lay, seems to intimate that the duty enjoined is one that requires an effort; and experience tells us it is no easy matter to throw off the burden of carefulness.” So we are back to the matter of choice. We must by an act of the will in dependence on the Holy Spirit say something such as, “Lord, I choose to cast off this anxiety onto You, but I cannot do this of myself. I will trust You by Your Spirit to enable me to, having cast my anxiety on You, not to take it back upon myself.” 

-- Jerry Bridges in “Trusting God”

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE POTTER

“Yet, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand.”  (Isaiah 64:8 NRSV)

The amazing thing is that even in the midst of disappointment, surprise, and mystery you will discover how very reliable and trustworthy God is -- and how secure you are in His hands. And oh, how we need that in this day of relativism and vacillation, filled with empty talk and hidden behind a lot of semantic footwork. In the midst of “spin city” it is the Lord who talks straight. It is the Lord who has preserved Truth… in His Word. And it is the Lord who has the right to do as He wishes around us, to us, and in us. He’s the Potter, remember. Puzzling as the process may be to us, He stays with His plan. There is no need for us to know all the reasons, and He certainly doesn’t need to explain Himself. Potters work with the clay, they don’t fret over it… or ask permission to remake the clay into whatever they wish. 

-- Charles R. Swindoll in “The Mystery of God’s Will: What Does He Want for Me?” (1999)

#5320

GRACE AND PEACE IN CHRIST

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Philippians 1:2 NIV)

Grace (charis) was hard for ancients and is hard for moderns to believe. We want to earn our respectability. Or we feel we have rights entitlement. Because we do not understand the depth of our self-centeredness, the brokenness of our relationship with God, we cannot comprehend the impossibility of our saving ourselves by our own actions. Grace is God’s work in Christ Jesus to give to us the undeserved favor of God. Grace puts things right; grace is love’s unmerited initiative that frees us to love God in return.

We do not phantom peace until we shudder before wrath. When things are not in line with what God wants, nothing is right. By the act of God in Christ Jesus, wrath is replaced by a healthy, right relationship. Peace is rightness with God, in which inner tranquility is matched by outer harmony. To live “in Christ” is to live in undeserved favor, in harmony and accord with God’s plan of rightness and compassion. 

-- Richard and Julia Wilke in “DISCIPLE: Remember Who You Are”

#5308

THE FUTURE IMPACTS THE PRESENT

“But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand His plan, that He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.”  (Micah 4:12 NIV)

When God reveals the future, His purpose goes beyond satisfying our curiosity. He wants to change our present behavior because of what we know about the future. Forever begins now; and a glimpse of God’s plan for His followers should motivate us to serve Him now, no matter what the rest of the world may do. 

-- From the NIV Life Application Bible

#5162

THE MEANING OF LIFE

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12 ESV)

Like most living legends, Julius Erving (Dr. J) is often asked about the greatest highlight of his career. Though Dr. J enjoyed one of the greatest careers in NBA history with over 30,000 points scored, he likes to tell others what went on in his heart.

“At age 29 I realized I was looking good on the outside but was hitting a lot of peaks and valleys on the inside.” He says, “After searching for the meaning of life for over ten years, I found the meaning in Jesus Christ. When I gave my life to Christ, I began to understand my true purpose for being here. It’s not to go through life and experience as many things as you possibly can and then turn to dust and be no more. The purpose of life is to be found through having Christ in your life, and understanding what His plan is and following that plan.”

Surely, God blessed Dr. J in basketball and in the game of life.  

-- Rod Handley, Elliot Johnson, and Gordon Thiessen in “Character Counts for Athletes”

#5212

 

LIFE’S PURPOSE

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

This may be the best news you’ll hear all day: God has a wonderful purpose for your life!

Jesus described that purpose when He said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love each other.”  (John 15:16-17)

God has chosen you to bear fruit. And that fruit is in your Holy Spirit-given character, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s simply the character of Jesus coming out through you. It’s your service as you lead others to faith in Jesus Christ, as you help them grow into maturity so they’ll also bear fruit.

Your life has eternal significance. Don’t miss out on God’s plans for your future. 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#5205

THE LORD’S MYSTERIOUS WAYS

“From Paul, an apostle. I was not chosen to be an apostle by human beings, nor was I sent from human beings. I was made an apostle through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.,. Jesus gave Himself for our sins to free us from this evil world we live in, as God the Father planned. The glory belongs to God forever and ever.”  (Galatians 1:1,4-5 NCV)

It’s often said, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” How true. Start with the gospel of grace. The enemies of God being offered unconditional pardon and adoption into the royal family of God? Heaven’s most glorious riches lavished on the least deserving? It all reads like a fairy tale. And it gets even wilder. God announces His intention to partner with the likes of us so others can experience His love and grace. He could use angels or employ some other supernatural means. Instead He uses us. And what do we do? Mostly we stumble and fall and fail. Yet the Lord never gives up on us and never aborts His plan. He works in us and through us, despite us. The villains become heroes. What a mystery! What a miracle! What a God we serve!

-- Max Lucado in “Life Lessons: Galatians”

#5139

A PLAN FOR YOU

One of the passages of Scripture that has been very important to me for several years is Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Although those words were directed to the nation of Judah in captivity, they express a principle about God, a principle affirmed elsewhere throughout the Bible: God has a plan for you. Because He has a plan for you, and because no one can thwart that plan, you, too, can have hope and courage. You, too, can trust God. 

-- Jerry Bridges in “Trusting God”

#5125

THE STORY OF OUR LIVES - Part 3 of 3

When we are passing through those awful chapters and difficult seasons [of life], we sometimes cannot see God or imagine how things will work out. But when we look back over our lives, in hindsight, we see how God moved the plot forward, enfolding it into the story of God’s redemption in our lives.

Here is what I know -- God can and will transform our pain, redeem our suffering, and lift us out of the darkest pits. Out of our dark moments, God writes a story of triumph. With God as our co-author, the dark times are never the end of the story…

Your story is not complete; the remaining chapters are yet to be written. God’s plan for your life is not yet set in stone; you have a chance to shape the story. As you do, this is God’s will: that you “lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10) 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Why? - Making Sense of God’s Will”

#5014

PAYING ATTENTION

“Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”  (Exodus 3:3-4 NRSV)

[Pay] attention to the many ways in which God acts in our lives and in the world. God leaves metaphorical breadcrumbs that lead us along a path of God's choosing if we're paying attention. Learn to notice the gifts God gave you and watch the way your own life story is developing if you want to know more about God's will for you. God may not put a burning bush in your path, but there will be plenty of other clues about what God may want you to do or be.

-- Debra Farrington in "Alive Now" Magazine, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.


#4618

GOD’S WAY IS ALWAYS BEST

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV)

Doing things God’s way is always best. When God’s people do not follow His ways, the consequences can be extremely painful and discouraging. God promised the people of Israel joy and fulfillment if they would live according to His ways, but their failure to follow Him ultimately cost them everything.  He said to Israel: “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But My people did not listen to Me; Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans.” (Psalm 81:10-12)

One of God’s most devastating acts of discipline is when He allows us to experience the natural consequences of doing things our way instead of His way.

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”


#4595

THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL -- JOHN 3:16

FOR GOD -- The Greatest Deity
SO LOVED -- The Greatest Caring
THE WORLD -- The Greatest Company
THAT HE GAVE -- The Greatest Gift
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON -- The Greatest Perfection
THAT WHOSOEVER -- The Greatest Invitation
BELIEVES -- The Greatest Simplicity
IN HIM -- The Greatest Attraction
SHOULD NOT PERISH -- The Greatest Promise
BUT -- The Greatest Difference
HAVE -- The Greatest Certainty
EVERLASTING LIFE -- The Greatest Possession

-- Source Unknown 


#4547

TRUSTING OUR GUIDE

“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”  (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

Scripture’s testimony is that God cares about you and me and wants to guide our lives through the difficult path ahead. In every detail God’s plan, with all the wisdom and power He possesses, is far better and far superior than we can ever imagine. Our benevolent God, who wants the best for us, desires to guide our lives through His Word, which He has given that we might know His perfect will and purpose in all areas of life. What could be better than knowing God and the life He has for us to live? When we rely on our own strength and understanding, the way is foggy, full of obstacles and curves. When we entrust our way to God for His direction and leading, the way forward becomes clear and straight. 

-- Source Unknown, submitted by a SOUND BITES subscriber in Wisconsin


#4529

ABUNDANT LIFE HERE AND NOW

Jesus said… “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  (John 10:10 NRSV)

I believe that when Jesus Christ comes into our lives, He not only saves us for an eternity after death, He brings eternity into our lives here and now. To the degree that we allow our Lord to do so, He helps us to sleep better, eat better, talk better, love better, and laugh better. He brings a kind of continual excitement into life. The Christian life is wonderfully earthy; we don’t seek, in our beliefs, to escape from this life, but we do expect to get hold of something beyond this earth. Not simply when we die; heavens, no! We expect a quite out-of-this-world touch on our lives here. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Life from the Upside: Seeing God at Work in the World”


#4516