Tag: inspiration

Inspirational Music: Fearless by Jasmine Murray

There are those times in life when you forget. You didn’t get that job because God’s plan is something else or it’s the wrong time. You’re bank is running low and things are looking bad. Maybe you have a disease or other health issue.

The gospel of Jesus Christ addresses all of this and more. Often times I find myself fearful of some situation or some thing. Fearless by Jasmine Murray is inspirational and reminds me of these verse in scripture:

6) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7) for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
– 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Reading the Bible

AUTHOR: D.A. Carson, Must I Learn How to Interpret the Bible?

But the process can be accelerated by reading meditatively, self-critically, humbly, honestly, thereby discovering where the Word challenges the outlooks and values of our time and place. It is accelerated by the right kinds of small-group Bible studies (e.g. those that include devout Christians from other cultures), and from the best of sermons.

Inspiration from 1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV)
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

The context of this Scripture is Paul admonishing some groups of Christ’s followers in the church at Corinth to stop worshipping men who introduced them to the gospel, and to get on with worshiping Jesus.

The admonishment for the followers at the church in Corinth and today’s application for us is that teachers of Christ’s gospel message (preachers, elders, pastors, reverends, etc…) will spread the gospel like seeds, but they are not responsible for the growth of those seeds, nor are they capable of growing them! In the context of this passage the church’s leaders, teachers, pastors etc are referred to as he who plants and also as he who waters. The scripture goes on to show that it is God who gives growth to the seeds planted and watered by men.

So then what is our role if God does the growing, and we are not anything? Our role is planting and watering – evangelism, investing in others, preaching, teaching, admonishing, exhorting sound like good starters.

Kutless – Shut Me Out

More edgy music from a Christian Band, very awesome! This is one of the 5 songs also burned to CD for my wife during that “rough patch” we went through. That rough patch drew us closer together, so here’s the chorus…

There’s nothing you can say
That will take me away from this life
There’s nothing you can do
To shut me up when I’m speaking the truth

Here’s the YouTube… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_2TE7dldGs

The Afters, Never Going Back To Okay

I heard this one day on AOL Radio’s Christian Rock channel and it reminded me of mine and my wife’s walk. It was one of 5 songs I burned to CD for her a couple of weeks back when we were going through a rough patch…

This song is about not going back to the old life you had before becoming a Christian. Because once you are a Christian, you realize your old life was just “okay”…

The Afters, Never Going Back To Okay

Jesus, Disciples, Us

This occurred to me today listening through a Tim Chester audio…

1. The disciples lived daily with Jesus and continued to show their lack of strong faith after witnessing firsthand the miracles he performed.

2. Compare the rather quick faith exhibited some of the people Jesus cured or healed.

I thought this could be considered a a model for Jesus’ current day church of believers (the disciples) and people who are new to the faith (people Jesus healed/cured).

BIBLICAL MODELS/BIBLICAL PATTERNS

The bible employs models, which can further our understanding of the bible when studying. For example, as Tim Chester was pointing out in this audio, Christ’s  life of suffering followed by glory is a model or pattern we are intended to follow.

THIS MODEL

I believe that the model/pattern of the disciple’s lack of faith and the faith of those Jesus cured or healed can be a model for some of how some people whose lives are broken, and come to Christ in their life, and enjoy a strong, almost immediate, unquestioning faith in God – compared to some who may be long in time spent with Christ but who may be lacking in faith.

THE LESSON LEARNED?

Well, if you are long in your time with Christ and find your faith weak, and notice stronger faith exhibited by new Christians, remember Jesus’ work on the cross for us, delve into the gospel of his message and life and live for him, not yourself.

Some Inspiration

Putting this together tonight I found a blog I’d completely forgotten I ever started called “Christ in My Life“. Here are 2 inspirations for my early walk that I still value, they still inspire me, and hopefully they will inspire someone else as well….

READING THE BIBLE

AUTHOR: D.A. Carson, Must I Learn How to Interpret the Bible?

But the process can be accelerated by reading meditatively, self-critically, humbly, honestly, thereby discovering where the Word challenges the outlooks and values of our time and place. It is accelerated by the right kinds of small-group Bible studies (e.g. those that include devout Christians from other cultures), and from the best of sermons.

FASTING

AUTHOR: EvidenceBible.com

NOTE ON PSALM 35:13
It is wise to make fasting a way of life. Missing a meal on a regular basis will help you to keep your appetite in check. It will also put a joyful thanksgiving in your heart every time you sit down to a meal.