The Right Side of God by Victoria Osteen

Have you had something happen in your life that made you feel wrong? Maybe you've made some mistakes. Maybe circumstances put you in the wrong place. Maybe someone even told you—"You're wrong." It's easy to let those external influences affect your thoughts and make you feel wrongly about yourself.

If that's you, I just want to encourage you today—if you are in Christ Jesus, you're not on the wrong side of life. You are not in a wrong place; in fact, you are in the right place—on the right side of God!

Colossians says that if we are raised with Christ, we are seated with Him in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father. It says we are to seek what's at His right side, and that is Jesus Christ. What's significant about the right hand? The right hand represents the blessing of God. It represents favor, honor and authority. In scripture, Joseph wanted his father to bless him with his right hand. Jesus sits at the right hand of God continually interceding for us! Think about when you greet someone. You extend your right hand!

If you feel wrong today, that's not God. God is not in the business of condemning people; He's in the business of loving people! His right hand is extended toward you. He wants to greet you, He wants to hold on to you, and He wants to position you in heavenly places.

So many times, we think it's our earthly position that gives us strength and power. We think if we are doing well on the job, we are in a good place. We think if people like us, we're in a good place. The truth is, your position on earth isn't what matters most; it's your position with God in heavenly places! The next time something or someone tries to make you feel wrong, remember that you are on the right side of God!

 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1, NIV)

Read more: http://blogs.christianpost.com/victoria-osteen/the-right-side-of-god-24827/#ixzz3VFr9KOEt

Your Name Matters to God by Carolyn Henderson

Steve Henderson Fine Art

God calls all of His children by our names, in such a way that we can hear His voice and know that He wants us to join Him. Midday Tea, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

It's embarrassing how many names I know, of people I've never met.

As the product of my generation, I spent many hours after school watching an assortment of eminently forgettable TV shows, only they must not be that forgettable since I can sing the intro songs, as well as give the names of the people who played the various characters.

While this is sad, what is even sadder is that I am not alone, and a whole new generation of children is wasting away hours in front of a screen, learning a whole new crop of forgettable names and eminently forgettable TV shows and movies.

Precious in His Sight

Names are actually precious things, given to many of us by parents who spent hours wrangling over the perfect appellation for their son or daughter. Some people are named after relatives. Others are named quite creatively, with spelling that will make future elementary school teachers stumble over pronunciation.

Regardless of how or what we are named, our names matter -- not because they are well known, not because we are famous, not because everyone recognizes our name -- but because our names are part and parcel to who we are, and God knows those names.

Four Unpronounceable Names

Recently, in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 38, I ran across four unusual names -- Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur -- and if you don't recognize these names, or can't pronounce them, don't feel bad. neither did I, and neither can I.

But the thing about these names is that, at the time Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur lived, they were pretty impressive people -- in their own eyes at least -- because they were important administrators in the household of the last king of Judah in Israel, Zedekiah. So to them, and to many people around them, their names mattered more than most, because they were more influential and powerful than most.

This is a way of thinking that does not change through history, and in present day, we see all sorts of names -- most of them more pronounceable -- of people who are more influential and powerful than most, who consider themselves, and their names, more important than most.

Are Some More Important Than Others?

So also does the media, because it does its best to put these names, and their words, before the rest of us, and if we don't watch ourselves, we will tend to think -- along with the influential and powerful people -- that they really are more important than the rest of us, simply because we know their names.

But quite fortunately, in the eyes of the One Person who truly matters, God, there is no favoritism (Romans 2:11) based upon income, education level, family connections, or media hype. He has called us by name, and we are His. (Isaiah 43:1)

God Shows no Partiality

Your name matters. You matter. And while you may hang your head, sometimes, because your name isn't as well known as the least of these who show up in a media magazine, or because those around you do not snap to attention when your name is called out, don't. When you're tempted to wish that you, too, could be rich and famous and powerful and influential and . . . important, say to yourself Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur (if you can remember them, that is) and understand that, while they were moderately well known in their own time and place, and while they're even listed in a book that millions of people read -- nobody now knows their names.

It doesn't matter if men know your name. It matters that God does.

Read more: http://blogs.christianpost.com/thiswomanwrites/your-name-matters-to-god-25174/#ixzz3VFlCkNyE

Desperate For Love

When it comes to love, desperation is a weak emotion and it produces weak results. You have to know your worth and you have to be willing to wait as long as it takes to meet someone who will appreciate you. If you get desperate you will settle for anyone willing to show you a little attention. You will compromise your morals and values. You will compromise your self-respect and put up with stuff you always said you wouldn't. You'll give a boyfriend the benefits of a husband. Heck, you'll give a man who won't even give you a real commitment the benefits of a husband. You'll ignore everything you said you stood for and you'll settle.

I'm speaking to the women on this one because in all of my life I've only seen one or two men do this.

The question I've receive the most are from women who are doing everything in their power to please and keep a man but that man won't give them a title or a real commitment. He wants to live together. He wants to split the bills. He wants to have all kinds of sex. He wants meals cooked, laundry done, and the house clean. BUT, he doesn't want to give you a title. He doesn't want to say you're his girlfriend. He doesn't want to get engaged. He doesn't want to get married. He might not even want to make the relationship public on Facebook and IG.

I'm gonna put this simple. YOU'RE GETTING PLAYED!!!!

You're getting played like a deck of cards. You're getting played like parker brothers board games. You're getting played like the lotto. You've ignored every ounce of intuition God gave you. You know that man doesn't really love you or want you but you want love so bad that you're willing to do anything. You fell for the "let's take our time and not rush things" for so long that now you're afraid to walk away because of all the time you've invested. If it's been longer than a year and you've been sexing, fussing, and fighting you should have a real commitment by now. For starters you shouldn't be having sex. You shouldn't be living together. That's the mistake I made too and it almost ruined us for good. It's very hard to start over once you've built a mansion on the sand. You need a firm foundation. Living together and having sex before marriage isn't a firm foundation. You've put the cart before the horse.

Separate the benefits package. This is how a relationship would go in an ideal world.

1. The man approaches you and starts the courting process

2. You date without having sex

3. He asks you to be his woman exclusively and you all start a real relationship

4. The relationship becomes public

5. He is getting his life together and you're getting yours together. In example, he has his own place, job, and a car. You have your own place, job, and a car.

6. He proposes. You accept. You set a wedding date no further than a year out.

7. If you can't afford a wedding you go to the court house. That's what we did.

8. You get married. Break your leases or sublease. Move in together.

9. You build for a year or more and enjoy life as a married couple.

10. You start a family if you don't already have kids but want some.

That's how it would be done in a perfect world. That's how it was done in the Bible days. Today, we are doing our own thing. We don't have structure. We don't have rules. We don't follow God's blueprint. That's why our relationships are a mess. That's why we struggle so bad. That's why we fail so often. We are trying to create love but not following the instructions of the creator of love.

Guess what? You can do it the right way and you can meet someone who will do it the right way with you.

Will it be hard? Absolutely. Unless you're walking and talking with God and living by His word. If that's the case he will meet your needs when you NEED them. You have to be truly living right to activate that favor and those blessings. If you're faking it trying to make it, you won't make it. A man can tell if you're really about that righteous life or if you're a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Here's what I would advise if your'e single and ready:

1. Focus on yourself. Work as hard as you can and accumulate the things you should have and wait until you attract a man who is bringing the same to the table. He should be on your level. You shouldn't have to carry him, sponsor him, or raise him.

2. Keep your legs closed and open your eyes. Date but don't "give it up." Let him court you while you pay attention to the signs. There are plenty of men willing to do it the right way for a woman who is right for him and ready for love. Keywords: right for him!

3. BE PATIENT!! Occupy your time until it's your time. It may be 10 years, 20 years, or 30 years. The longer it takes, the greater you're supposed to be. The longer it takes means that there is more work you have to do. You're called to something higher than you're currently reaching and you have to reach higher. Everyone's life is different. You can't look at the next woman and expect to be married at the same time as her. You have a different call on your life and a different timeline. Occupy until it's your time.

Here's what I would advise if you're in a relationship that's being built on sand:

1. Have a serious talk and state what you need to happen for the relationship to continue.

2. Implement the changes you want to be made. Do relationship coaching. Watch and work for the next three months to see if any changes are made. This only applies if you're in a relationship where there is no present danger.

3. Give a monthly reminder of the relationship goals at least once a month over those next three months. Keep working towards the goals and leading by example. If your partner is unwilling to grow, get coaching, or change; leave him and don't look back. He is a grown boy and he doesn't really love you or want you. He is confused about what being a man really is and he's caught up in ego. He wants to rebel because he thinks it's weakness to be taught or led. Let him go so he can grow. You need to heal, go, and grow.

Don't settle for less than you're worth. Don't play house if you don't have a ring with a real commitment. You don't get what you're worth, you get what you require. No one can treat you less than you allow them to. Whatever you have is because you've allowed it and accepted it. If you don't want it, change it. If you can't change it, leave it. Life is too short to waste your time with someone who is wasting their time.

God bless,

Tony Gaskins Jr.

Casting Crowns Singer Mark Hall Reports Cancer Miracle.

Millions of fans worldwide have been praying for Mark Hall, the lead singer of Christian worship band Casting Crowns, who underwent surgery last week to have a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney. The singer is now home where he will continued to heal from the procedure; Hall’s wife Melanie said it is a miracle that the singer will be okay. 

 

Melanie Hall wrote on the band’s Facebook page that Hall has been fully cleared from cancer after the surgery.  

 

"The pathology report is in and the news is just as we expected and also an answer to the prayers we have all prayed. The pathology report confirms that the tumor was indeed kidney cancer but it was fully encased. The findings of the report confirm that the cancer had not spread to the kidney or anywhere else. Glory Hallelujah!!"

 

She continued to write that Hall’s healing is a miracle from God. 

 

"This just makes all of this even more of a miracle," Melanie said. "I wish that I could explain in words how much of a miracle it was, but it would take too many words.” 

 

According to Melanie Hall, three factors led to her husband’s miracle recovery from cancer. First, the band is not typically off in March as they were this year. Second, the singer did not go to the doctor for symptoms relating to the tumor, but for gastric issues. Finally, doctors do not normally order CT scans for the symptoms Hall was experiencing. 

"God was at work in this before we had any idea,” she wrote. “He is good that way. We are thankful for His mercy and grace. We are thankful that He chose to answer our requests in this way.”

"God was at work in this before we had any idea,” she wrote. “He is good that way. We are thankful for His mercy and grace. We are thankful that He chose to answer our requests in this way.”

---   Carrie Dedrick 

Why Pray? by Wayne Nall

This is the first of a series of articles on devotional life. I start with a simple question:

Why pray?

If God is all powerful, omnipotent, and all knowing, what is the need for prayer anyway? Can't God do what He is going to do without us humans' puny little help?

Does prayer really make a difference anyway?

What is the purpose of prayer?

These are just some of the questions that come up when we talk about prayer. I hope to provide some answers to these questions and others in this and future articles. However, I think the first question we need to answer is the most basic one:

What is prayer?

When we think of prayer, what images do our minds conjure up? Perhaps a child kneeling by his bedside with his hands folded, praying a childlike prayer. Perhaps we might think of some (very old) nuns in their habits, again with hands folded, looking up to God with saintly expressions. We might even think of a soldier in a foxhole praying for God to save Him from the bullets whizzing overhead.

Well, those are all pictures of prayer…but they are incomplete pictures at best.

When we think about prayer, we almost always think about asking God for something. Dear Lord…Please send me a new "this". And I definitely need a new "that." Or…Lord spare me from "this" or "that" thing. Yet asking God for things (which we call "petition") can and should be only a small part of our prayer life. Prayer is simply talking to God in faith. It can include petition, but it certainly should include far more than these oftentimes selfish prayers. Prayer can be spoken or unspoken. It can be done literally anywhere, with any postures, using any words that are respectful to God. Prayer is being real with God. It's not just for nuns, children, and scared-spitless soldiers. Prayer is a grand privilege that is available to anyone who wants to avail themselves of it.

This is the "what" of prayer. Now let's get back to the "why" of prayer.

Why pray?

• Because God told us to pray. This is the most basic answer to the question. Our Lord in His wisdom has told us as Christians that we are to "pray without ceasing." (I Thess 5:17) He is pleased when we talk to Him.
• Because prayer itself is a fantastic opportunity bought for us at a very steep price

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean… (Hebrews 10:19-22 NASB

This "new and living way" of approach to God was only made available to us through the blood of Christ, through His sacrifice of Himself. You see, under the old covenant (as outlined in the Old Testament), no one could approach God without a blood sacrifice. Even then, the average person was not allowed to approach God themselves, but had to use a priest as intermediary to take their sacrifice to God. However, now, because Jesus Himself was both our Great High Priest and our sacrifice (by giving himself up to God as the spotless Lamb of God), we now can enter His presence "in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean." Isn't that amazing! Jesus Himself is now our intermediary to the Father! What an incomprehensible privilege we have to be able to talk to the Maker of the Universe, the Creator of All Things, anytime, anywhere!

Read more: http://blogs.christianpost.com/wayne-nall-jr/why-pray-25084/#ixzz3Us6FCNkx

Husbands, Love/Wives, Submit.

A man is a person who, if a woman says to him, “Never mind. I’ll do it myself,” lets her.

A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, “Never mind. I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her, gets mad.

A man is a person who, if a woman says to him, “Never mind. I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her and she gets mad, says, “Now what are you mad about?”

A woman is a person who, if she says to a man, “Never mind. I’ll do it myself,” and he lets her and she gets mad and he says, “Now what are you mad about?” says, “If you don’t know I’m not going to tell you.” [1]

Marriage is challenging! Primarily because both men and women are sinful, but also because we are very different. Men are mystified by women’s minds, and women get exasperated with men’s behavior. Learning to live together successfully is a life-long process, with daily lessons. One high school student didn’t quite get it. His religion teacher read Genesis 2:24, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife,” and asked, “From this Scripture, what do we learn is important in marriage?” The student blurted out, “Cleavage.”

This fall in Bible study we are looking at women in the Bible—both the lives of specific women and the biblical model of womanhood. In recent weeks we have explored the Bible’s teaching on marriage.

Books and sermons on biblical marriage often focus on passages like Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, 1 Peter 3, and Titus 2, which speak specifically of the husband-wife relationship. [2] But we noted that all of the commands that tell how to treat other people in general apply to husbands and wives in particular. For example, the “one another” passages in the New Testament give extensive instructions on interpersonal relationships. Carl F. George has made a helpful list of the “one anothers” of the New Testament: [3]

Be at peace with one another (Mk. 9:50).
Wash one another’s feet (Jn. 13:14).
Love one another (Jn. 13:34 [2x]; 13:35; 15:12; 15:17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Th. 4:9; 1 Jn. 3:11; 3:23, 4:7; 4:11; 4:12; 2 Jn. 5).
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (Rom. 12:10).
Honor one another above yourselves (Rom. 12:10).
Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16).
Stop passing judgment on one another (Rom. 14:13).
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you (Rom. 15:7).
Instruct one another (Rom. 15:14).
Greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom. 16:16).
When you come together to eat, wait for each other (1 Cor. 11:33).
Have the same care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).
Greet one another with a holy kiss (1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12).
Serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13).
If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another (Gal. 5:15).
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal. 5:26).
Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2).
Be patient, bearing with one another in love (Eph. 4:2).
Be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32)
Forgive each other (Eph. 4:32).
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19).
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21)
In humility consider others better than yourselves (Phil. 2:3)
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9)
Bear with one another (Col. 3:13).
Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another (Col. 3:13).
Teach one another (Col. 3:16).
Admonish one another (Col. 3:16).
Increase and abound in love for one another (I Th. 3:12).
Encourage one another (1 Th. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 10:25).
Build one another up (I Th. 5:11)
Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone (1 Th. 5:15)
Encourage one another daily (Heb. 3:13).
Spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24).
Do not slander one another (Js. 4:11).
Do not grumble against one another (Js. 5:9).
Confess your sins to one another (Js. 5:16).
Pray for one another (Js. 5:16).
Love one another deeply, from the heart (I Pet. 3:8)
Live in harmony with one another (I Pet. 3:8)
Love one another deeply (I Pet. 4:8)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (I Pet. 4:9).
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another (I Pet. 4:10)
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another (I Pet. 5:5)
Greet one another with a kiss of love (I Pet. 5:14).

If husbands and wives followed these instructions, there would be no problems in marriages! All of the commands apply equally to men and women. As 1 Thessalonians 5:15 says, “always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Verse 14 gives some specifics about how to do good to others: “admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” Sometimes the wife will be the fainthearted one who needs encouragement. Sometimes the husband will be the weak one who needs help. Either might fall into idleness and need admonishment. We are all in need of patience.

Following the one another commands would be enough to make any relationship healthy, but we must not neglect the passages that deal specifically with the husband-wife relationship. These passages are often cited to show that there is a hierarchical structure in marriage, with the husband as the head and the wife in submission. They have been used to keep women in subjection and allow men to domineer. Sometimes women react against this authoritarianism and reject these passages altogether. [4]

So what does God want us to learn from His instructions regarding husbands and wives? What does Paul mean when he says in Ephesians 5, “Wives, submit to your own husbands” and “Husbands, love your wives”? We know from earlier in the chapter that both husbands and wives are to love one another (v. 2) and both are to submit to one another (v. 21), so neither love nor submission is a one-way street.

John McPherson

Paul is saying that both love and submission are to be mutual, and I have wondered if perhaps in verses 22-33 he is not so much establishing a hierarchy but rather taking human nature into account and zeroing in on respective weaknesses of men and women. Men seem to have more trouble than women in the love department. Women tend to be more caring and thoughtful and sacrificial and tender and intuitive by nature, but men tend to be focused more on themselves. They know how to love and care for themselves but have difficulty putting others’ needs first. Therefore Paul exhorts them to “love their wives as their own bodies” (v. 28). They need to be thoughtful—to think about their wives’ needs and actively try to meet them, just as they care for their own needs. As Paul says, “He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (vv. 28-29). Men need to recognize that they are one flesh with their wives and to love their wives as they love their own flesh, nourishing and cherishing them as Christ does the church.

Hallmark

Women, on the other hand, have a way of being controlling and manipulative. We may not have the physical strength or the authoritative power of a man, but we do know how to get our own way. We can exert subtle control by being scheming or passive-aggressive. We play games to get men to bend, and we know all the tricks in the book, like crying, nagging, and sulking. Therefore Paul exhorts women to be submissive and respectful toward their husbands from the heart, not with ulterior motives, not in a manipulative way, but with the same genuine honor they would give to Christ. When both partners are doing their part, the husband feels respected, the wife feels cherished, and both grow in holiness.

In the healthiest marriages I know, the whole business of authority and submission is practically a non-issue; the husband does not lord it over his wife, and the wife does not manipulate her husband. Rather, they are in an intricate dance. Both partners know each other, know their moves, and stay in step with one another. The husband takes the lead, not to dominate but to love and guide. The wife willingly flows with him. One or the other may be more skilled, but together they are better than either one alone.

shoeboxblog.com

Don't forget humor!

---

[1] Katherine S. Beamer
[2] For a look at 1 Peter 3, see “Sarah Obeyed Abraham, Calling Him Lord.”
[3] From Carl F. George, Prepare Your Church for the Future (Tarrytown: Revell, 1991), 129.

[4] Many women want no part of a system that feels oppressive to them and does not allow them to exercise their gifts. Sadly, many young women, in particular, have abandoned the church altogether because of excessive emphasis on male authority and female submission.

Read more: http://blogs.christianpost.com/ambassador-of-reconciliation/husbands-love-wives-submit-24053/#ixzz3Us43HMMQ