TRUE BELIEVERS - Religious beliefs, verses, poems and prayers...

[Kent]

March 12


WAITING, TRUSTING, AND HOPING are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response from My children that I desire most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you really do trust Me. If you mouth the words "I trust You" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present.

Because you are Mine, you don't just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust. Keep your "antennae" out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence.

JOHN 14:1; PSALM 27:14; HEBREWS 6:18-20

[Kent]

March 13


LEARN TO LIVE above your circumstances. This requires focused time with Me, the One who overcame the world. Trouble and distress are woven into the very fabric of this perishing world. Only My Life in you can empower you to face this endless flow of problems with good cheer.

As you sit quietly in My Presence, I shine Peace into your troubled mind and heart. Little by little, you are freed from earthly shackles and lifted up above your circumstances. You gain My perspective on your life, enabling you to distinguish between what is important and what is not. Rest in My Presence, receiving Joy that no one can take away from you.

JOHN 16:33 (NKJV); JOHN 16:22

[Blade]

Powerful yet so simple a small child can remember the words

11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, [B]“When you pray, say:


“‘Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c]
And lead us not into temptation.[d]

JOHN 11 :1-4

[Kent]

March 15


LISTEN TO THE LOVE SONG that I am continually singing to you. I take great delight in you ... I rejoice over you with singing. The voices of the world are a cacophony of chaos, pulling you this way and that. Don't listen to those voices; challenge them with My Word. Learn to take minibreaks from the world, finding a place to be still in My Presence and listen to My voice.

There is immense hidden treasure to be found through listening to Me. Though I pour out blessings upon you always, some of My richest blessings to you, and your seeking heart opens you up to receive more of My disclosure. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

ZEPHANIAH 3:17; MATTHEW 7:7

[DMW]

Irish Blessings. Thank you for the thread Kent.

[Kent]

Originally Posted by DMW

Irish Blessings. Thank you for the thread Kent.

You're welcome, DMW. However, I can't take all the credit as it was justanolecowboy's idea to start this thread and we worked together to start it. Keep posting DMW.

[Kent]

March 16


IT IS GOOD THAT YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR WEAKNESS. That keeps you looking to Me, your Strength. Abundant life is not necessarily health and wealth; it is living in continual dependence on Me. Instead of trying to fit this day into a preconceived mold, relax and be on the lookout for what I am doing. This mind-set will free you to enjoy Me and to find what I have planned for you to do. This is far better than trying to make things go according to your own plan.

Don't take yourself so seriously. Lighten up and laugh with Me. You have Me on your side, so what are you worried about? I can equip you to do absolutely anything, as along as it is My will. The more difficult your day, the more I yearn to help you. Anxiety wraps you up in yourself, trapping you in your own thoughts. When you look to Me and whisper My Name, you break free and receive My help. Focus on Me, and you will find Peace in My Presence.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 (AMP); PROVERBS 17:22

[justanolecowboy]

Proverbs 3:34 NKJV

My plea is that we not limit grace to Christ. We, too, can learn to be just as gracious as He. And since we can, we must, not only in our words and in great acts of compassion and understanding but in small ways as well. Let me describe four practical expectations you can anticipate as you get a firm grasp on grace.

First, you can expect to gain a greater appreciation for God's gifts to you and others. What gifts? Several come to mind. The free gift of salvation. The gift of life. The gift of laughter, of music, of beauty, of friendship, of forgiveness. Those who claim the freedom God offers gain an appreciation for the gifts that come with life.

Second, you can expect to spend less time and energy critical of and concerned about others' choices. Wouldn't that be a refreshing relief? When you get a grasp on grace—when you begin to operate in a context of freedom—you become increasingly less petty. You will allow others room to make their own decisions in life, even though you may choose otherwise.

Third, you can expect to become more tolerant and less judgmental. Externals will not mean as much to you. You'll begin to cultivate a desire for authentic faith rather than endure a religion based on superficial performance. You will find yourself so involved in your own pursuit of grace, you'll no longer lay guilt trips on those with whom you disagree.

Fourth, you can expect to take a giant step toward maturity. As your world expands, thanks to an awakening of your understanding of grace, your maturity will enlarge. Before your very eyes, new vistas will open. It will be so transforming, you will never be the same.

[Katniss]

All our capacities—reason, speech, volition, affection, and action—must be molded by the activity of prayer. Moreover, as prayer becomes central in our lives, all that we do becomes part of prayer. As the Benedictine motto has it, laborare est orare—to work is to pray. I think it is possible that one might reach a state where the very act of breathing becomes a type of prayer. Although an Eastern concept I think the act of "mindfulness" also comes in to play as a type of ceaseless prayer.

Katniss~~

[Blade]

Matthew 20:28
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"

Am I in the "many" are you? I believe we all can be in the many, if we chose Jesus. I also believe the message in this song, one of my all time favorites.

"When He was on the Cross, I was on His mind"

[justanolecowboy]

Poverty and shame will come
to him who neglects discipline, but he
who regards reproof will be honored.
Proverbs 13:18

Discipline is one of the most hated terms of our times . . . right alongside patience and self-control. But have you noticed how often it comes up in the testimonies of those who win?

Here are some key uses of discipline:
No runner completes the training or a race without it.

No weight-loss program is maintained without it.

No human body is kept fit without it.

No mind is sharpened without it.

No temptation is overcome without it.
If you want to put a stop to mediocrity, to replace excuses with fresh determination and procrastination with tough-minded perseverance, you need discipline.

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by justanolecowboy

Poverty and shame will come
to him who neglects discipline, but he
who regards reproof will be honored.
Proverbs 13:18

Discipline is one of the most hated terms of our times . . . right alongside patience and self-control. But have you noticed how often it comes up in the testimonies of those who win?

Here are some key uses of discipline:
No runner completes the training or a race without it.

No weight-loss program is maintained without it.

No human body is kept fit without it.

No mind is sharpened without it.

No temptation is overcome without it.
If you want to put a stop to mediocrity, to replace excuses with fresh determination and procrastination with tough-minded perseverance, you need discipline.

All very good points! I'd like to add if I may that faith also requires discipline.

[Jesse]

and this boy has a set of lungs on him for sure!

[Katniss]

A friend of mine (Joe Z.) who I met while working in Haiti often sends me weekly poems and quotes. I found this particular one worth sharing.

****************************************
Be the Blessing
Sitting in the cupola at Pelican House this morning as the sun was rising,
watching and listening to the waves rise, crest, crash and disappear--
I had a question: "What's the point?"

Waves are all ocean all the time, but what's the point
of this human wave called "Joe Z?"
This wave that arose over six decades ago, and could
crash and slide back into Oceanic Being at any moment?

What's the point of this human life?

The first line in the Aramaic Prayer of Jesus
is a cosmic finger pointing to a full moon that says:
Know who you are--you are an infinite wave of blessing.

And that's you and me and everyone.
Everyone, without a single exception, is a wave of blessing.
And once you know that, then just be that. Be the blessing you are.

And bless. You may have a knack for blessing in a special way.
I have a knack for blessing people into deeper consciousness.
You may have a knack for blessing people's bodies.
Or blessing their automobiles with a tune-up.
It doesn't matter what your gift is, so long as you bless people with it.

In a talk about a month before he died, Thomas Merton told a group
of fellow contemplatives in Delhi--Brothers, it's so simple:
"What we have to be is what we are."

And what we are, what each of us is, is an infinite wave of blessing.


Joe Z.


Katniss~~

[justanolecowboy]

The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Proverbs 18:4

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. ---George Washington Carver

I have admired those words for years. They reflect a perspective easily forgotten in a dizzy schedule of demands and deadlines.

It is easy in such a scene to become shortsighted, to think that now is forever. But those who sustain a close companionship with wisdom tend to be more tender, compassionate, sympathetic, and tolerant than those whose world revolves around themselves.

With wisdom comes depth and stability.

When we navigate through life under full sail with wisdom at the helm, we may not miss all of the storms, but we will have the strength to persevere. We can face the unforeseen without the fear of sinking.

[justanolecowboy]

By this all men will know
that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another. -John 13:35

If our message is a mirror image of the message of the world, the world yawns and goes on its way, saying, "What else is new? I've heard all that since I was born." But if the Christian lifestyle and motivation and answers are different, the world cannot help but sit up and take notice, thinking:

How is it that I cannot conquer this habit but he has?

Why is their love so deep and lasting and ours so shallow and fickle?

How is it that she can forgive and never hold a grudge, but I can't get over a wrong? Talk about kindness and courtesy! These people exude those things. I wonder why.

I've never seen such integrity. The guy wouldn't think of taking a harming anyone he loved.

Do you get the message? It is the difference that makes the difference.

[deb0670]

Make my Life a Prayer to You by Keith Green:

Make my life a prayer to You
i wanna do what You want me to
No empty words
and no white lies
no token prayers
no compromise
i wanna shine
the light You gave
Through Your Son
You sent to save us
from ourselves
and our despair
It comforts me to know
You're really there

Well i wanna thank You now
for being patient with me
oh it's so hard to see
when my eyes are on me
i guess i'll have to trust
and just believe what You say
oh You're coming again
Coming to take me away
i wanna die and let You give
Your life to me so i might live
and share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free.
I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable
or fairy tale
That i've made up inside my head
Your God, The Son
You've risen from the dead

Oh, i wanna thank You now
for being patient with me
it's so hard to see
when my eyes are on me
i guess i'll have to trust
and just believe what You say
oh, You're coming again
Coming to take me away
i wanna die and let You give
Your life to me
so i might live
and share the hope
You gave to me
i wanna share the love
that set me free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=7EDGmeP1aA4

[justanolecowboy]

[justanolecowboy]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up in the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ . . . to the heart-wrenching erosion of loyalty when he denied the Lord. Not once. Not twice. Three times. Once he realized his failure, the Bible says, “he went out and wept bitterly” Luke 22:62

Can you remember a failure that was so dramatic and so tearful for you that you hardly need to be reminded of the feelings? I remember Betsie ten Boom’s words, “There is no pit so deep but that He is not deeper still.” As dark and as deep and as tragic as your failure may be, He is willing to go to the depths of it with you.

This was true of Peter too. Look back at Luke 22. After the surprising warning of Satan’s attack, Jesus gave Peter a statement of fact: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” Then there was a veiled reassurance: “And you, when once you have turned again . . .” Then a final command: “Strengthen your brothers” (22:32).

What does that suggest? It suggests that Peter was going to fall. “Once you have turned again.” “Retraced your steps” is another way someone else has put it. “Once you have turned again,” Jesus said, “then use it to strengthen your brothers.” Jesus knew Peter to the core. He knew Peter would fall, but He prayed for him that he would not remain fallen. Jesus loved Peter—even at his point of deepest weakness
.

How did He prove that love? Mark 16: 6-7 answers that question. After the Resurrection, while the women were standing at the tomb, an angel told them:

“Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter.” (emphasis added)

Isn’t that great? “Don’t forget Peter. He’s the last one who thinks that I’ll ever want to talk to him again. Tell Peter!” What grace!

Somewhere between the time Peter fell and this angelic announcement there was a process during which Peter wallowed in remorse, wishing he could, if possible, correct his error . . . but he couldn’t. And somewhere in the midst of it he heard the Lord say to him, “Peter, I forgive you. I understand. Use it to strengthen your brothers.”

That’s why Peter later was able to write the following words to early Christians:

May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection. 1 Peter 1: 2-3

Why did this mean so much to Peter? Because it was at the Resurrection Peter’s name was called, and the Lord in tender mercy said, “Tell him I’ve come back.”

First Peter is a letter of great hope written by a man who experienced it! By the time he wrote this letter, Peter had come to the place where he was not only back on the scene, he was aggressively engaged in the formation of the early church.

It can happen to you too. Just like fallen and forgiven Peter, you can find new hope despite your failures. If you are a believer, you are born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
1 Peter 1:3.

What tender mercy! What triumphant grace! Failure is not forever. God specializes in forgiveness and hope. He can use even your worst failures in a mighty way.

[justanolecowboy]

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
Brother Lawrence - The practice of the Presence of God