Two Places, Two Things

The God of the Bible is only interested in two places:
•In Christ
•Not in Christ

Some people get all concerned about where they are in the world or in life or in their “situation”. God is more concerned about whether you are “in Christ” or “not in Christ:. In Christ means you have received the gift of life Jesus gave us all at the Cross. Not in Christ means you have not, therefore, have no relationship with the God of the Bible.

I recommend asking Jesus to forgive you and receive this new life. Just ask and believe.

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Two Things.
When it comes to you, the God of the Bible is greatly concerned with two things.
•God & You
•What matters to God

There are times we get so focused on “doing” that we forget to relate. Psychology has noted the “absent but present” parent is like that. So fixated on doing for someone they forget to make relationship. This is especially true of those in ministry. It gets really easy to see everyone as a ministry opportunity, yet never really build relationships.

The God of the Bible does not want you to “do for Him”. He has angels for that. He wants to walk through this life “with you”. You are what is most important to the God of the Bible.

The second part of that requires some maturity on the part of the Christian. When our “wish list” of prayers cease and it no longer becomes about “I” when we pray, when it becomes “Your will be done on Earth just as it is in Heaven” and we begin to walk that out.

When we mature ourselves to the point of turning away from “I want” prayers to “What is it that you want, God? What matters to You?”; that is when we start maturing and becoming sons and daughters of God.

What matters to God may be unique to the individual, something God has just for you, the believer.

To those in ministry, it no longer becomes about “my ministry” to “what is it You would have me do? What can we do together? Your agenda.”

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So I encourage you to find out where you are. Are you “in Christ” or in your own thing?

Are you cultivating a right relationship with the God of the Bible as your Father through Jesus Christ? Or, are you serving out of duty or habit?

Are you focused on “you” and “your needs” or are you focusing on God and what He needs/wants?

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Tough questions, I know, but good ones to consider, meditate, and pray about.

Blessings & Grace be on you all!

Doc.

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Alone but not Alone

Manna in the Word:
Alone but not Alone
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John 16:32

John 16:32 KJV
[Jesus saying] “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”
…
Isn’t it interesting, knowing that he would be left by everyone that he loved and served for years, Jesus knew he was not alone in his walk. Jesus was and is in God the Father, and the Father was and is in Him. Jesus was never alone. He was in right relationship with the Father and never separate from the Father.

In the same way, we who are in Christ are no longer separate from God but are in a right relationship with the Father. By faith (hope, confidence, trust, being persuaded) we just receive this gift of grace of being in right relationship with the Father and now He is in our life and our life is in Him.

#justreceiveit #amen

#mannaintheword

#alonebutnotalone

#alonebutnotlonely

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Bread, Fish, Keys

God will take what is in your hands currently to bless abundantly.

Feeding 5000
Matthew 14.15-21 (Mark 6.30-44, Luke 9.10-17, John 6.1-14)

And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 
And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
He said, Bring them hither to me. 
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Feeding 4000

Matthew 15.32-39 (Mark 8.1-9)
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye?
And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 
And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 
And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

“Who do you say I am?” – Who do you say Jesus is?
Matthew 16.13-19 (Mark 8.27-30; Luke 9.18-20)
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

Keys to the Kingdom
Matthew 16.17-19
Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

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Prayer – an open book test

If you allow yourself to hear the #GodoftheBible, #prayer becomes an open book test.

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It doesn’t make sense…

It doesn’t make sense, but … the God of the Bible loved us so much Jesus traded his life so we can have life with the God of the Bible.

It doesn’t make sense, but there it is.

If we believe and receive what Jesus did at the Cross, we can have a new life with the God of Creation.

#HeiswhoHesaysHeis

#foolishnessoftheCross

#nogreaterlove

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