Just a Note
Just a note to let you know that the way to read this Blog is to start from the bottom because it is a step-by-step process and it begins with my first blog that I wrote on April 18th. Therefore, all you'll need to do is scroll down to April 18th - that way things will stay in order which is important for this Blog.
Thanks a bunch!
Rebecca Love
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Our Hightest Good for His Glory!
When I tell the children about Jesus I always make certain that they understand that Jesus wants our highest good. No matter what God asks us to do or not to do it is always because He desires our highest good and He knows exactly what is best for us at all times.
Also, we are supposed to want the highest good for ourselves and for others. If we all were living our lives for our own highest good and the highest good of others can you imagine what the world would be like?
So what is our highest good and how do we know what the highest good of another person should be?
When God made Adam and Eve He made them in His image and likeness. God warned them about the Tree they were not supposed to eat from because He loved them and wanted their highest good. The reason God put the Tree in the garden was because God knew that the only way for Adam and Eve to truly know who they were and what they wanted was to give them choices. God did not want to design robots that "had" to love Him. God wanted to give us a choice of whether we wanted to love Him or not, even though there is no real reason not to love Him if we truly know Him! So, choices are good - they help us determine what we really want and who we really want to be.
Now, what is our highest good? It is to know God and love Him and to be like Him as much as possible, since we have been made in His image. What is the highest good of another? It is to help them know God, love Him and be like Jesus.
What does it look like to be like Jesus and why is that so important? Jesus is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Self-control, Faithfulness etc. and who doesn't want to have these traits anyway? It is so important to be like Jesus because then we will be continually walking in love and faith instead of fear and selfishness.
So, if being like Jesus is the highest good for everyone then we need to be working towards that as our highest goal and helping others to get there too. In seeking our highest good we find that our God-Given Purpose plays a huge role in all of this because when we are walking in a manner that God already designed for us to walk in then we truly will have fulfillment, satisfaction and contentment. And it feels SO good to live according to how we've been designed by the Great Designer Himself. It is when we skip town and try to be something we are not that we get into trouble and we've all skipped town at some point or another and we know what that feels like and where that gets us.
As we walk in the particular design God has for us we will experience the most joy, peace, love, passion and satisfaction ever and then what happens? God gets the glory because everyone can see our light because we are beaming and we all know it is a miracle from God we are witnessing. If we take our skills, talents and spiritual gifts and use them inappropriately then we usually feel defeated, unhappy and angry and we hurt ourselves and others and that is when people look at the Christians and say, "We don't want to be like those hypocrites."
So, what keeps you from being on the path of your highest good and your God-Given purpose? I know a couple of my kids really struggled with other people annoying them all of the time. Once they realized that it was a choice to be annoyed or not then they realized that they could actually enjoy others and not be so annoyed. When we think that we are the center of the universe and that our wishes and wants are the most important things on this planet then we have lost our focus. Our focus must be on our Great Designer Who has our highest good in store. When we fellowship with "The Creator of All Good Things" then we soak in Who He is and the delight that truly comes from these type of encounters with the Almighty One - well there is nothing better or more fulfilling than being touched by the Father's hand.
Loving His Light!
Rebecca
Also, we are supposed to want the highest good for ourselves and for others. If we all were living our lives for our own highest good and the highest good of others can you imagine what the world would be like?
So what is our highest good and how do we know what the highest good of another person should be?
When God made Adam and Eve He made them in His image and likeness. God warned them about the Tree they were not supposed to eat from because He loved them and wanted their highest good. The reason God put the Tree in the garden was because God knew that the only way for Adam and Eve to truly know who they were and what they wanted was to give them choices. God did not want to design robots that "had" to love Him. God wanted to give us a choice of whether we wanted to love Him or not, even though there is no real reason not to love Him if we truly know Him! So, choices are good - they help us determine what we really want and who we really want to be.
Now, what is our highest good? It is to know God and love Him and to be like Him as much as possible, since we have been made in His image. What is the highest good of another? It is to help them know God, love Him and be like Jesus.
What does it look like to be like Jesus and why is that so important? Jesus is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Self-control, Faithfulness etc. and who doesn't want to have these traits anyway? It is so important to be like Jesus because then we will be continually walking in love and faith instead of fear and selfishness.
So, if being like Jesus is the highest good for everyone then we need to be working towards that as our highest goal and helping others to get there too. In seeking our highest good we find that our God-Given Purpose plays a huge role in all of this because when we are walking in a manner that God already designed for us to walk in then we truly will have fulfillment, satisfaction and contentment. And it feels SO good to live according to how we've been designed by the Great Designer Himself. It is when we skip town and try to be something we are not that we get into trouble and we've all skipped town at some point or another and we know what that feels like and where that gets us.
As we walk in the particular design God has for us we will experience the most joy, peace, love, passion and satisfaction ever and then what happens? God gets the glory because everyone can see our light because we are beaming and we all know it is a miracle from God we are witnessing. If we take our skills, talents and spiritual gifts and use them inappropriately then we usually feel defeated, unhappy and angry and we hurt ourselves and others and that is when people look at the Christians and say, "We don't want to be like those hypocrites."
So, what keeps you from being on the path of your highest good and your God-Given purpose? I know a couple of my kids really struggled with other people annoying them all of the time. Once they realized that it was a choice to be annoyed or not then they realized that they could actually enjoy others and not be so annoyed. When we think that we are the center of the universe and that our wishes and wants are the most important things on this planet then we have lost our focus. Our focus must be on our Great Designer Who has our highest good in store. When we fellowship with "The Creator of All Good Things" then we soak in Who He is and the delight that truly comes from these type of encounters with the Almighty One - well there is nothing better or more fulfilling than being touched by the Father's hand.
Loving His Light!
Rebecca
Monday, April 26, 2010
What's Next?
What's Next?
It is of the utmost importance to begin to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ made a way for us to go boldly into the Throne Room of God and He wants to hear from us because we are His kids now.
Talk to God about everything because God is a God of details and He cares about the details of your life! Get to know the Bible because God will teach you wonderful things and you will begin to notice Him talking to you through the scripture - amazing stuff!
Knowing our skills, talents and spiritual gifts helps us recognize how and where we fit into the Body of Christ. We can now focus our energy in the areas of our strengths instead of just trying out a bunch of things and not having anything really fit.
In a Nutshell: get to know God through the Bible and through spending time talking with Him and focus your energy in the areas that are your God-Given Strengths.
You're doing great!
Ever learning and growing,
Rebecca
It is of the utmost importance to begin to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ made a way for us to go boldly into the Throne Room of God and He wants to hear from us because we are His kids now.
Talk to God about everything because God is a God of details and He cares about the details of your life! Get to know the Bible because God will teach you wonderful things and you will begin to notice Him talking to you through the scripture - amazing stuff!
Knowing our skills, talents and spiritual gifts helps us recognize how and where we fit into the Body of Christ. We can now focus our energy in the areas of our strengths instead of just trying out a bunch of things and not having anything really fit.
In a Nutshell: get to know God through the Bible and through spending time talking with Him and focus your energy in the areas that are your God-Given Strengths.
You're doing great!
Ever learning and growing,
Rebecca
Sunday, April 18, 2010
To Know Our Purpose
What is it to know our purpose in this life? I can personally tell you that it truly brings great satisfaction and fulfillment to one's life. But it is definitely a journey that has specific steps we have to take or we'll never get there.
Step One:
Believe in (trust in, lean on and rely upon) the Lord Jesus Christ. Why Jesus Christ? Because He is the only One Who proved that He was God. Jesus/God came to this earth, lived a sinless life (he did nothing wrong), died to take our sins (our wrongs) upon Himself (only God could do something like that) and then He rose Victorious to show everyone that sin and death have no more grip on our lives. Jesus is the only One Who wanted to take our sins from us and the Only One Who could die with our sins upon Himself, so we don't have to die in our own sins. WOW!! What a Great God Who loves us! Isn't it time to get to know Him! I want Him in my life don't you?!
Step Two:
Now that you believe, trust in and rely upon Jesus Christ (and eventually you will find that it is great to be able to lean on Him too) it is time to make Him the Boss of your life. An awesome Pastor shared with me the fact that people don't know about "Lords and Kings" much anymore so it is helpful to think of Jesus as the Ultimate Boss! A Boss Who only seeks after our highest good in all things... and who wouldn't want a Boss like that anyway?! So, allow God through Jesus' life and teachings to be The Boss of your life!
Up to this point you may have a few questions like 'How exactly do I believe in Jesus enough to make Him the Boss of my life?' All you have to do is use your own words to tell Him that you are "sorry for your sins and grateful that He wants to take all of them from you". Then ask Him to "take your sins and that you want to get to know Him more and more from now on and that you truly want Him to be the Boss of your life". If you have anymore questions please email me at rebeccalove777@hotmail.com and I'll be glad to help in anyway I can.
Step Three:
Now that you are saved from your sins and Jesus is the Boss of your life it is time to find out what His plans are for your life and we call this "Our God-Given Purpose". To know your "God-Given Purpose" it is important to know what your talents, skills and spiritual gifts are because when you are walking in the way that God made you then you are fulfilling your purpose here on earth. Yep, it is that simple! So after you figure out what your talents and skills are it is time to find out what your spiritual gifts are. Don't worry because God is always growing us up and teaching us along the way and He will always show you what plans He has for you when He wants you to know them.
If you don't know what skills and talents you possess ask someone who knows you well enough what they see in you and then write your skills and talents down.
Identifying My Spiritual Gifts
In trying to make it easier to identify our spiritual gifts there are four major categories we can put each gift into. Usually, the spiritual gifts that we feel good about are our top gifts. The ones where we cringe when we read about them are usually the spiritual gifts we don't possess or rarely ever use.
Here are the four major identifying categories:
1) Yes, definitely (I already see these gifts strongly being used in my life)
2) Yes but not my top gifts (I see these gifts being used but not as strong as my #1 top gifts)
3) Maybe but not sure - need more experience (I have used these gifts but not very skillfully)
4) Not much/rarely exercised (definitely at the bottom of my list of gifting)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
“Each Spiritual Gift is a God-given special ability to serve and strengthen the body of Christ effectively”
(number each spiritual gift below to the best of your ability by using the 1-4 numbering system from above)
Administration: Effectively organizing resources and people in order to efficiently reach ministry goals.
Apostleship: Launching and leading new ministry ventures that advance God's purposes and expand His kingdom. The original Greek word is “sent one” (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador).
Discernment: Recognizing truth or error within a message, person, or event.
Encouragement: Helping others live God-centered lives through inspiration, encouragement, counseling and empowerment.
Evangelism: Sharing the love of Christ in a way that draws others to respond by accepting God's free gift of eternal life.
Faith: Stepping out in faith to see God's purposes accomplished, trusting Him to handle any and all obstacles along the way.
Giving: Joyfully supporting and funding kingdom initiatives through material contributions beyond the tithe.
Healing: Heal/restore to health, beyond traditional and natural means, those who are sick, hurting or suffering.
Helping: Offering others assistance in reaching goals and glorify God and strengthen the body of Christ. This aptitude is sometimes referred to as the gift of “helps” or “service”.
Hospitality: Providing others with a warm and welcoming environment for fellowship.
Interpretation: Understanding , at a specific time, God's message when spoken by another using a special language unknown to the others in attendance.
Knowledge: Communicating God's truth to others in a way that promotes justice.
Leadership: Casting vision, stimulating spiritual growth, applying strategies and achieving success where God's purposes are concerned.
Mercy: Ministering to those who suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually or relationally. Their actions are characterized by love, care, compassion and kindness toward others.
Miracles: Supernatural acts that bring validity to God and His power.
Pastoring: Taking spiritual responsibility for a group of believers and equipping them to live Christ-centered lives. Shepherding is another word used for this particular gift.
Prophecy: Offering messages from God that comfort, encourage, guide, warn or reveal sin in a way that leads to repentance and spiritual growth. The original Greek meaning of this word is “to speak forth the truth.” The gift of prophecy includes both “forth telling” (preaching) and “foretelling” (revelation).
Teaching: Teaching sound doctrine in relevant ways, empowering people to gain a mature spiritual education.
Tongues: Communicating God's message in a special language unknown to the speaker.
Wisdom: Making wise decisions and counseling others with sound advice, all in accordance with God's will.
Remember, at anytime anyone of us can be called to exercise any or all of the gifts but what we are trying to figure out is what our top Spiritual Gifts are because those will be the gifts we use most often as we follow God and walk in His purpose for our lives. Also, we will be more effective in strengthening and serving the Body of Christ if we can identify just how God designed us. And we also need to know where we are best able to use our gifts, so we can compliment each other and function as a healthy Body (the Body of Christ).
Talk to you soon,
Rebecca
Step One:
Believe in (trust in, lean on and rely upon) the Lord Jesus Christ. Why Jesus Christ? Because He is the only One Who proved that He was God. Jesus/God came to this earth, lived a sinless life (he did nothing wrong), died to take our sins (our wrongs) upon Himself (only God could do something like that) and then He rose Victorious to show everyone that sin and death have no more grip on our lives. Jesus is the only One Who wanted to take our sins from us and the Only One Who could die with our sins upon Himself, so we don't have to die in our own sins. WOW!! What a Great God Who loves us! Isn't it time to get to know Him! I want Him in my life don't you?!
Step Two:
Now that you believe, trust in and rely upon Jesus Christ (and eventually you will find that it is great to be able to lean on Him too) it is time to make Him the Boss of your life. An awesome Pastor shared with me the fact that people don't know about "Lords and Kings" much anymore so it is helpful to think of Jesus as the Ultimate Boss! A Boss Who only seeks after our highest good in all things... and who wouldn't want a Boss like that anyway?! So, allow God through Jesus' life and teachings to be The Boss of your life!
Up to this point you may have a few questions like 'How exactly do I believe in Jesus enough to make Him the Boss of my life?' All you have to do is use your own words to tell Him that you are "sorry for your sins and grateful that He wants to take all of them from you". Then ask Him to "take your sins and that you want to get to know Him more and more from now on and that you truly want Him to be the Boss of your life". If you have anymore questions please email me at rebeccalove777@hotmail.com and I'll be glad to help in anyway I can.
Step Three:
Now that you are saved from your sins and Jesus is the Boss of your life it is time to find out what His plans are for your life and we call this "Our God-Given Purpose". To know your "God-Given Purpose" it is important to know what your talents, skills and spiritual gifts are because when you are walking in the way that God made you then you are fulfilling your purpose here on earth. Yep, it is that simple! So after you figure out what your talents and skills are it is time to find out what your spiritual gifts are. Don't worry because God is always growing us up and teaching us along the way and He will always show you what plans He has for you when He wants you to know them.
If you don't know what skills and talents you possess ask someone who knows you well enough what they see in you and then write your skills and talents down.
Identifying My Spiritual Gifts
In trying to make it easier to identify our spiritual gifts there are four major categories we can put each gift into. Usually, the spiritual gifts that we feel good about are our top gifts. The ones where we cringe when we read about them are usually the spiritual gifts we don't possess or rarely ever use.
Here are the four major identifying categories:
1) Yes, definitely (I already see these gifts strongly being used in my life)
2) Yes but not my top gifts (I see these gifts being used but not as strong as my #1 top gifts)
3) Maybe but not sure - need more experience (I have used these gifts but not very skillfully)
4) Not much/rarely exercised (definitely at the bottom of my list of gifting)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
“Each Spiritual Gift is a God-given special ability to serve and strengthen the body of Christ effectively”
(number each spiritual gift below to the best of your ability by using the 1-4 numbering system from above)
Administration: Effectively organizing resources and people in order to efficiently reach ministry goals.
Apostleship: Launching and leading new ministry ventures that advance God's purposes and expand His kingdom. The original Greek word is “sent one” (literally, one sent with authority, or as an ambassador).
Discernment: Recognizing truth or error within a message, person, or event.
Encouragement: Helping others live God-centered lives through inspiration, encouragement, counseling and empowerment.
Evangelism: Sharing the love of Christ in a way that draws others to respond by accepting God's free gift of eternal life.
Faith: Stepping out in faith to see God's purposes accomplished, trusting Him to handle any and all obstacles along the way.
Giving: Joyfully supporting and funding kingdom initiatives through material contributions beyond the tithe.
Healing: Heal/restore to health, beyond traditional and natural means, those who are sick, hurting or suffering.
Helping: Offering others assistance in reaching goals and glorify God and strengthen the body of Christ. This aptitude is sometimes referred to as the gift of “helps” or “service”.
Hospitality: Providing others with a warm and welcoming environment for fellowship.
Interpretation: Understanding , at a specific time, God's message when spoken by another using a special language unknown to the others in attendance.
Knowledge: Communicating God's truth to others in a way that promotes justice.
Leadership: Casting vision, stimulating spiritual growth, applying strategies and achieving success where God's purposes are concerned.
Mercy: Ministering to those who suffer physically, emotionally, spiritually or relationally. Their actions are characterized by love, care, compassion and kindness toward others.
Miracles: Supernatural acts that bring validity to God and His power.
Pastoring: Taking spiritual responsibility for a group of believers and equipping them to live Christ-centered lives. Shepherding is another word used for this particular gift.
Prophecy: Offering messages from God that comfort, encourage, guide, warn or reveal sin in a way that leads to repentance and spiritual growth. The original Greek meaning of this word is “to speak forth the truth.” The gift of prophecy includes both “forth telling” (preaching) and “foretelling” (revelation).
Teaching: Teaching sound doctrine in relevant ways, empowering people to gain a mature spiritual education.
Tongues: Communicating God's message in a special language unknown to the speaker.
Wisdom: Making wise decisions and counseling others with sound advice, all in accordance with God's will.
Remember, at anytime anyone of us can be called to exercise any or all of the gifts but what we are trying to figure out is what our top Spiritual Gifts are because those will be the gifts we use most often as we follow God and walk in His purpose for our lives. Also, we will be more effective in strengthening and serving the Body of Christ if we can identify just how God designed us. And we also need to know where we are best able to use our gifts, so we can compliment each other and function as a healthy Body (the Body of Christ).
Talk to you soon,
Rebecca
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