All posts tagged: Christianity

Edging God Out – Episode Four

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Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14 Today we are going to talk about the fourth lesson in the story of a prophet going down. Jonah not only refuses to share his faith, cultivate intimacy with God in his presence, care deeply for the welfare of others, but today we see him edging God out of his prayer life. The bible tells us that Jonah was asleep at the bottom of the ship. Someone may say well, hold it right there, Jonah prays in the belly of the fish.. That’s prayer! You are right, that is prayer – but that is not a prayer life. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the only time they pray is when they are in trouble or when they want God to do something for them. They seem to have no use for God or no relationship with him when things are going great. Prayer is more than just coming to God for something – it is …

Edging God Out – The main thing!

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Good morning everyone! This morning I feel compelled to set my outline aside and share a very important message in Jonah. I know it all seems like Jonah is on the way down, but the beauty of God is his amazing grace, his unfailing love and his longsuffering. Here are a few statements I think you will find uplifting: Even in their rebellion, God is still working in our lives of unbelievers… See verse 15, 16 of chapter 1 Even in our rebellion, God still deals graciously with us… He doesn’t punish us according to our sin… See verse 17 of chapter 1 He still listens to us… As deep as we can be in our rebellion, when we turn to him in faith and repentance he hears us… See chapter 2 verse 1 He always gives us a second chance to make things right… See chapter 2 verse 10 and chapter 3 verse 1 were he hears the voice of the Lord again and is re-commissioned Like Jonah, some may  say to you today, …

Edging God Out – Silly and Senseless

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As we try to understand Jonah there is only but one place to look to give us a glimpse of who exactly this guy is and why is he behaving in such erratic way. His name: Jonah means “dove,” a symbol for Israel as silly and senseless (Hos. 7:11) In this book he is acting without sense. The word dove means – easily deceived. Like a bird fluttering about, confused and without direction. He thinks he can escape God by running to another nation. Here is the problem: The problem with  doves is that they do not lament the loss of their young taken from them, but will make their nest again in the same place leaving it expose to danger… 1. Doves doesn’t learn from their mistakes… just like doves, we return to our own vomit… making the same bad choices, bad decisions, abusive relationships, foolish spending etc…  Don’t be silly and senseless – learn from your mistakes. The second problem is that the dove is easily enticed they have no heart, no understanding, as many other fowls do, Proverbs 1:17; Proverbs 7:23. 2.  Doves lack the ability to discern danger… just like doves, …

Edging God out – Second Episode

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Ego part 2 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. Jonah 1:3 In our last post we said that usually an egotistic person will have no room for God, he readily, easily edges Him out. This couldn’t be more clearer in Jonah’s attitude toward to presence of the Lord. The #2 lesson we learn here in the book of Jonah is – that God desires intimacy with you all the time… In good times, bad times and ugly times. That we need to value his presence in our lives all the time. The mistakes we make over and over is to take the Holy Spirit or presence of God for granted. He is in us, with us and for us – not sometimes – but  all the time. We long for him, ask for him to …

Edging God Out – Sidebar

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 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9 ESV) This is one of the most awkward verses in the book of Jonah. a vivid example of how sometimes our talk really doesn’t match our walk. Jonah is claiming to be a God fearing person at the same time living in rebellion. I know the sailors were going awhhh, Mr., this is weird – why are you running from Him? Related articles EGO – Edging God Out (waltbrite.wordpress.com) Edging God Out – Episode Four (waltbrite.wordpress.com) Edging God Out – The main thing! (waltbrite.wordpress.com) Edging God out – Second Episode (waltbrite.wordpress.com)

Edging God Out – First Episode

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Ego Part 1 Egoism is defined as an “inordinate concern for One’s welfare and interest.” Jonah was a man completely devoted to his own interest. His thinking, feeling and acting were all driven by and devoted to himself. Usually an egotistic person will have no room for God, he readily, easily edges Him out. In chapter one, God commissions Jonah to go and preach to the 120.000 people of Nineveh, but Jonah refuses to go and he decides to run from God.  There is something disturbingly wrong with Jonah’s response. Is because he really felt that God would have compassion on these Gentiles? I think there was something else going on.  I think Jonah loves the Lord and is faithful to him in many way, but only when it’s in his interest (2 Kings 14) and for his people. But like all of us there is something still in Jonah that God is trying to unearth. Something deeply embedded in him either through his culture or through a false theological assumption. You see, He had a deep seated …

HUG Somebody

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The Nomination for HUG the Award I would like to thank my sister in Christ from Poetic Journey a blog that exudes compassion, hope, faith, friendship ect… Her journey has inspire many and continues to inspire many to hope, and dream and discover God’s best for them. May your giving become more and more contagious. What is the HUG Award The HUG Award© was initiated by Connie Wayne at A Hope for Today at http://ahopefortoday.com, which promotes hope, love, peace, equality, and unity for all people. The HUG Award© is for people with an expectant desire for the world, for which they: Hope for Love; Hope for Freedom; Hope for Peace; Hope for Equality; Hope for Unity; Hope for Joy and Happiness; Hope for Compassion and Mercy; Hope for Faith; Hope for Wholeness and Wellness; Hope for Prosperity; Hope for Ecological Preservation; Hope for Oneness “People do not have to give up or compromise their own religious, spiritual, or political beliefs to qualify for the Hope Unites Globally HUG Award©. They qualify for the HUG Award© when, without bias …

Hugo Cabret on Purpose…

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I rented the DVD last week and finally watched Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and to be frank – I loved the Movie. Here are a few thoughts I gathered from Hugo Cabret on the subject of purpose: I like to imagine that the world is one big machine. You know, machines never have any extra parts. They have the exact number and type parts they need. So I figure, If the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for a reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too. If you lose your purpose, it’s like you are broken. Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad. Because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do. Maybe it’s the same with people. The amazing news here, first and foremost, is that God has an incredible and divine purpose  for everyone of us. That we can come into a saving and loving relationship with Him through his son Jesus Christ. Than again he crowns us, lavishing on each and everyone of us creative …

The goal is Christ!

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The goal is Christ Philippians 3 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. There is a disease that is growing rapidly in pulpits all around the world, I mean in every country without exception. It’s what I call “I’m somebody too syndrome.” Many pastors have fallen into the trap of making it their goal to grow their churches to a certain size or build their ministry – whether from the pulpit, blogs, books, radio and television to a certain size in order to be counted as one of the elite, cutting edge, rock-star, celebrity pastors. We may  not agree with the way I described it above, but, when we, as pastors make it our goal to build and pastor large congregations; build up our ministries to a certain fame, we may be pursuing the wrong goal. For most of the people I know with this kind of notoriety, they didn’t go looking for it. The glory of God and the salvation of souls has been and …