Alive In Christ

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Introduction - Share Your Lunch

by Gail Rodgers

The young boy joined the crowd on the dusty road as they followed the Teacher. The lunch his mother had packed hung in a bag at his side. There was excitement in the air! Though he didn’t quite understand it all, the boy knew this Teacher was special and what He taught was important. He saw people being healed!

The sun began to dip behind the hill and his own stomach told him it was time to eat. He overheard Jesus and a few of his close followers discussing where to find food to feed this great crowd. The young boy stepped forward and handed his lunch bag to Andrew. Andrew spoke up and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:1-13)

Jesus ignored the inadequacy and asked that they sit on the ground. Then, as the young boy watched, Jesus gave thanks for the food and distributed it to those who were seated. Quizzical looks were exchanged as the small lunch was passed out. Remarkably over five thousand ate their fill and twelve basketfuls were left over! Imagine the story that young boy told his mother that evening!!

As mentors we have hungry people waiting to be fed. The crowd seems overwhelming at times. We wonder how to feed them. This same Jesus waits to bless the humble offering of our time and our talent and multiply it to feed this multitude!

You have stepped up to share your lunch! You have very likely already seen the miracle of your small offering being used of God! Your heart has been amazed! Just as we hear of the miracle of the crowd being fed to full, so you have stories to tell of God giving you words and opportunities to feed others with the Bread of Life.

But you already know… yesterday’s lunch will not do for today’s miracle. And once you have tasted of the miracle, you never want to live outside of that again.

But sometimes we do. Sometimes a staleness creeps into our soul and we aren’t quite sure how it happened. We find ourselves with yesterday’s lunch, or even last week’s or last month’s lunch.

We want to be deliberate in pursuing freshness. We do not want to place something stale in Jesus’ hands to be used by Him. To be Alive in Christ is to be fresh in our walk with Him.

Let’s ask God to refresh our hearts as we journey together.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 01 - "A" Active in Choosing

by Gail Rodgers

“I put my praise music on for the two hour drive and I had such a refreshing time with the Lord! I came back to my responsibilities with a fresh perspective!”

My pastor friend lives a busy life! Young kids, ministry that never seems to be done, bills, school taxi to run, mentoring, friendships, small group, and so on. You know what it’s like… most of us do. The day just seems to over run the allotted time on the clock.

But my friend found a key to freshness. It is the key of being active in making small decisions during her day… decisions that draw her closer to the God she loves and to a freshness in her soul!

We don’t intend for it to happen but somehow a passiveness creeps into busy Christian’s lives. We do ministry, we pray on the run, we read when we get a minute, we encourage where we can, we slip our tithe in the offering… and we somehow slip into a passive relationship with Jesus. We somehow expect Him to do the job of drawing near to us. We somehow begin to offer Him yesterday’s lunch and yet we long for a miracle today.

I hadn’t talked to Judy in ages. She phoned yesterday and told me now she had been asking God for so long to work in her life and in her home. Finally she determined to grab hold of God in a fresh way. She choose to “drag” herself out of bed a half hour early and get into His presence daily At first it was just routine, even dry, and she nearly didn’t crawl out of her warm bed. But as she asked God to speak to her, the scripture began to be alive again. She was excited about her journey! She was being refreshed!

Take a moment right now and check your own life. Do you long for a freshness you once knew in a way that you miss today? Can you remember when the last time was that you spent more than 20 minutes in the presence of God? Has your prayer time become a hurried list of things God needs to do for you, or have you taken time to ask Him what is on His heart lately?

God makes a promise in James 4:8

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

What do you need to do today, this week, to actively choose your relationship with Jesus over the many important and busy tasks that call for your attention? He longs to bring that freshness to your soul!

Make a choice to become active in pursuing God afresh. Actively choose time in His presence, actively choose to expose yourself to music that inspires, actively choose to turn off the TV, to invite Him into every decision, to ask Him which fruit of the Spirit He wants to cultivate in your life today. Actively choose to pray in a quiet corner and not just on the run, to listen for His voice, to read his Word and not just a devotional book, and to ask Him to teach you.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 02 - "L" Light

by Gail Rodgers
The pathway was pitch black. It felt like I was blind as I carefully moved along stumbling now and then. If only I had remembered the flashlight!

As you and I walk our daily pathway we seek to shed light on the way for others in their struggles and questions. But we must be sure we have our flashlight illuminating our own path. We would be quick to easily quote the verse:

“Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

But stop! What does that really mean on a “Monday” morning when the world is at your door with it’s problems and your own path has plenty of it’s own?
God’s Word as your flashlight… it’s not a new thought! Yet the words sometimes can seem hollow and the reading of the Bible can become mundane. And we can feel ourselves stumble in the dark. We begin to answer those at our door with our own wisdom.
Is your path feeling a little shadowed these days? Perhaps the stones of irritation and impatience are getting in your way. Are the pebbles of worry getting into your shoes? Do you splash through puddles of self pity or twist your ankle in potholes of hurt? Is the mud of doubt clogging up your shoes as you try to move along?
When we engage in ministry to reach troubled souls, the enemy of our own soul will seek to highlight the potholes and the mud puddles in our individual pathways. Weariness and doubt can begin to stick to our shoes making our steps heavy. Sometimes, without even realizing it, we can begin to do ministry in our own strength… and it feels heavy.
God gives us His Word! His Word is so central to who we are and what we believe! His Word is what brings refreshment and encouragement to our hearts! His Word shows us the truth about who our God is. His Word gently corrects. In the process we find the light we need on our daily path.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”.
Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

Do you find you have been leaning on your own understanding lately? Consider where your Bible is right now. Trusting Him with all your heart can only come as a result of His Word at work in your heart. And yet it can so easily get moved aside and blurred in the busyness of our day.
Sit with your Bible. Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn or re-learn in a new way. When your reading illuminates a truth about God, embrace it. When the light reveals a wrong attitude, action or pattern of thinking, confess it. Stand ready for Him to change you. Self justification in holding on to wrong thinking and attitudes keeps one bumping into the same rocks over and over. God longs to light your path in new ways. He longs for you to pick up the flashlight so He can!
The Spirit of God knows what is in your heart. If you long for Him in new ways, His Word will reveal Him to you. If things in your heart or life cause you to trip as you go through your day, His Word will reveal that too. He does not ask you to fix anything. No, He simply asks you to willingly accept the light He reveals through His Word and allow Him to be at work putting it right.

• If your heart hungers for Him in new ways read the book of John and ask for new insight.
• If relationships are causing bumps in your life read the book of Proverbs over the next 31 days and ask God to show you what He wants to fix. Then let Him.
• If your tongue gets you into trouble, read the little book of James and daily ask Him to set a guard at your lips.
• If your heart is weary and doubt is creeping into the secret corners read the book of Ephesians and ask God to refresh your heart with His purpose and power.
• If you feel small and insignificant to God read Psalm 139 and embrace what He says about you.
• This is what it means to “walk as children of light”.

In order to give out to those who come to us we must be fresh in our journey. When I am walking without His Word central in my life, I find myself doing my own very best thinking about the answers in my life and in my responses to others… and it isn’t enough. My very best thinking falls so far short of the thinking of God as He reveals Himself to my heart and gives me light on my path.
Get into His Word today… ask Him to light your pathway afresh. As He reveals the truth to you about Himself and about yourself, embrace it! It will lighten your step and speed you on your pathway with purpose and joy.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 03 - "I" Influence

by Gail Rodgers
Susan yelled at the kids. She didn’t like doing it but it seemed to be happening more and more lately. It had been a busy time with lots of challenges and she was tired. She sat at her computer to answer a mentoring question before she headed off to bed. “Lord, give me your wisdom to help someone tonight.”

She logged on and was immediately engaged as she read a letter from a dear soul asking for help in parenting. The writer felt she yelled at her kids too much. Susan smiled. God was not going to leave her to settle into this behavior herself. She sat there and talked with God for a few moments about her own heart, her own weariness. Then she got up from the computer and went in and talked to her kids as they were settling for bed. She apologized for yelling and they talked about some of the issues that caused it.
Susan sat back down at the computer. She got out her Bible and read the verse the Lord had reminded her of tonight.

“A soft answer turns away anger but harsh words stir it up.” (Proverbs 15:1)

She asked God to help her put the stirring spoon of harsh words and raised voice away and to help her put a soft response in its place. She knew that also meant being firm at times but with a gentleness that God could help her have. She began to type…
As we mentor others we have a greater responsibility to model Christian character. And yet we are all dealing with daily life and its challenges too.
Here is a simple exercise that can help us move from “reacting” in our own lives and circumstances to “responding” in the character of Jesus.
Grab a child’s hoola-hoop, stand in the middle of it and hold it around your waist. There… that circle that surrounds you represents your area of control. It is your own thoughts, your feelings, your ideas, your passions, your decisions, your words, all that you are responsible for.
Now envision a second larger circle outside the hoola hoop. This is the circle that represents other people’s thoughts, emotions, decisions, passions, ideas and words. You have no control here, only influence.
Beyond the second circle is the third circle where you have no control and no influence. Your only input is prayer.
As mentors our first job is to keep our own relationship with Jesus fresh. We need to model how following Jesus makes a difference in our responses where we walk daily.
Think about what’s been happening this week and this month inside your hoola-hoop. Have you been reacting to life’s pressures with the stirring spoon of harsh words, raised voice or angry tones?
Have your thoughts been spiraling you down or are you choosing to take captive thoughts that are negative and critical and march them to Jesus for His tempering? (2 Cor. 10:5)
What about your emotions… are you anxious and worried or are you experiencing His peace within your hoola-hoop? (Isaiah 26:3&4)
When we go to Jesus with the reactions in our lives that are abrasive, He will exchange them for His character qualities.
Then we will be less inclined to reach into the next hoola-hoop and try to control the decisions, ideas, words and feelings of others. We will be more aware of the gentle influence we can have when we “respond” with Jesus’ help rather than “react” in our own sandpaper humanness. (Gal.5:22)
Tending carefully what is happening in your hoola-hoop and being less concerned about what is going on in other’s, will enable you to walk in a freshness of spirit that will impact and influence all your relationships and your mentoring as well. (Romans 15:13)
We give out of who we are. Keep fresh what you offer others by keeping Jesus very close in your hoola-hoop. Turn your reactions into chosen responses by the power of the Holy Spirit. Tune up your influence today.
For real freshness today meditate on the scriptures noted.
God bless you richly as we serve Him together.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 04 - "V" This is the Victory

by Gail Rodgers
Susan walked away from the bank machine in frustration. She was overdrawn and it was still a while to payday. This unexpected bill left her wishing she had deposited more in her savings.

I thought about deposits and withdrawals this morning as I took four phone calls and received a dozen email. So many feeling overwhelmed in the place where they walk today. “Lord, what can I say?”
From the morning phone calls and email only one was a story of encouragement. All the others were overwhelmed… and with good cause for they are walking in tough places. I thought about what makes the difference.
The deposits we make into our minds and hearts will determine what there is for withdrawal when things get tough.
As mentors we too can feel overwhelmed at times. “What can I say?” our hearts cry as we answer the phone and email. The Lord quietly replies, “Tell them what I said.” I ponder what He did say.

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4 & 5)

Life will feel overwhelming at times. We want to reach out to encourage others in their hard spots but we also try to balance our own concerns of life and finances, relationships and health, often tired but too busy to rest. It is in these times that what we have deposited into our minds will bear its fruit. This verse tells us our faith will be our victory.
But how does it work at a practical level when life threatens to overwhelm us? Author Neil Anderson says that what goes into our mind drives our will and our emotions. If we deposit into our minds things of “the world and the flesh”, such as entertainment that is impure and questionable, negative and critical thoughts, and continued focus on bigger, better, more material things, we will bear fruit accordingly. Anxiety, fear, discouragement, greed, impurity and worry will be the withdrawal.
However, if we deposit the Word of God into our minds, on a continual basis, then our will and emotions are led by the Spirit and we will bear fruit accordingly. God says when we make this choice the result in our life will be withdrawals of peace and patience, faith and gentleness, love and kindness, goodness, self control and even joy. (Galatians 5:22).
Suddenly it is very clear. We can actually choose the direction our will and emotions will go by what we deposit into our mind! We are not helpless in being overcome with life’s circumstances. God says it is our faith that will overcome in the world that surrounds us daily and cause us to live with hope and expectation in the midst of life’s challenges.
How do we put feet to our faith and make the deposit that will give us the withdrawal we need as we face life and seek to help others on the way? Practically speaking, “believing that Jesus is the Son of God” means screening your thoughts. Plain and simply take stock daily of what is going on in your mind and what you are believing. The thoughts that consume your mind will dictate your heart attitudes and eventually be displayed in your actions.
So often we can quote a scripture and it can sound trite and familiar and feel powerless. It is because we are not truly believing what it says. Thoughts that line up with the Word of God will help you overcome and live with hope and expectation. Thoughts that don’t line up with the Word of God will bring you to a place of being overwhelmed.
It really is that simple. Know what God’s Word says and believe it. Ask His Holy Spirit to increase your faith. Expose your thoughts to His promises. Talk about them with others. Guard what goes on in your mind and heart. Line your thoughts up with God’s Word. The difference in your “withdrawal” in meeting life’s challenges will amaze you.
God’s Word tells us that life will press in on us at times but we will not be crushed. He said He put this treasure of His Holy Spirit in us as “jars of clay” in order to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Because of Jesus’ death we have this life living within us. We have this source to withdraw from so others will see His strength in us and God will be given the credit. Even in hard times we can be renewed inwardly day by day as we focus on God’s Word and set our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. (2 Corinthians 4: 7 -18)
Search God’s Word… it is your defense in life. Measure your thoughts by what His word says. Are you truly believing what it says? If your thoughts are not lining up with His Word, ask Him to help you take those thoughts captive and throw them out.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

As you encourage those who feel overwhelmed with life and as you guard your own heart, check what deposits have been made into your mind lately. Make the choice to bring your thoughts in line with the Word of God and your withdrawals in the tough moments will change. Encourage those who come to you to do the same.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2).

Truly believe the powerful Word of God. Let His truth saturate your mind and change your life! Read His promises with a fresh faith that takes God at His Word.
Overwhelmed by worry about tomorrow’s problems?
Do you believe God when He says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 5 & 6)

Present your worry to God, with a thankful heart that He can take it and carry it, and He will give you a peace that will guard your heart and mind from overwhelming anxiousness.
Overwhelmed by fear?
Do you believe God when He says:

“I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid, what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5 & 6)

Do you believe God does not give you fear?

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (KJV 1 Timothy 1:7)

Thank Him for His constant love and His presence with you and ask Him to take away your fear and give you His power to stand with a sound mind.
Overwhelmed by feelings of worthlessness and low self esteem?
Line your thoughts up with what God says about you in Psalm 139:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Thank Him that He knit you together in your mother’s womb and He cares deeply about you. God says it so you can believe it. Ask Him to help you see yourself through His eyes.
Overwhelmed by confusion?
Do you believe God when He says:

“Where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil thing.” (James 3:16)

Ask God to show you if you are contributing to confusion in your life by being the source of jealousy or trouble making. Believe Him when He says:

“the peacemakers will be blessed.” (Matthew 5:9)

Overwhelmed by the power of the enemy of our souls?
Believe God when He says:

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)

Thank God that you are on the winning team! Keep your deposits growing with the Word of God in your heart and mind and the withdrawals will be there when you need them!

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 05 - "E" Eternity in Our Hearts

by Gail Rodgers
I’ve said it. I’m sure you have, too. It goes something like this: “I’ll be happy when…”

• “we get the new curtains.”
• “when I finish this course.”
• “if I get that new job.”
• “when the kids are in school.”
• “when I find that special ‘someone.”

And so it goes, with true happiness always just around the next corner. Sound familiar? What is it you are longing for today?
We long for something, in the tomorrow of our lives, that will bring the fulfillment that may be lacking in our today. There is a reason for that. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says:

“God has also set eternity in the hearts of men.”

God created you with eternity in your heart. He created each of us with a longing for the tomorrow of eternity, and only the things of eternity will fill that longing.
What are the things of eternity that we can look for today to fulfill that longing? God’s ways are not complicated. He said we needed to come to Him as children, so that means the explanation for this longing in our hearts must be simple. Eternity for God’s children will be filled with the glory of God. And the glory of God is simply who God is. How exactly is that a part of our daily life and the longings we have? Very simply put, we show who God is as we live our life, and as we live in a way that reveals His character we will live with the fulfillment of eternity in our hearts.
We show who God is by loving others.When we encounter difficult or unlovable people, we show God’s character by offering love that we get first from Him. You will be surprised at the joy in your heart when you give God’s love away.
We show who God is by serving others. Remember when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, even when He knew within hours Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him? When He finished washing, He told them all, “Happy are you if you do this for one another” (John 13). Jesus knew the fulfillment we would find in serving each other. If it’s been awhile since you served someone, just to show who God is, find a way today and see that longing in your heart for eternity met in some small way.
We show who Jesus is by our character. Living a life of integrity in all things will bring a deep satisfaction to your soul. Lack of integrity always carries an expensive price tag.
We show who God is as we live like Jesus would. Inviting Him into how you feel, think and act will change your days and your life.Changing your priorities will require choosing differently and not always easily, but Jesus will give you everything you need to live for Him.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he as given us his very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter1:3,4).

Today let your life declare the glory of God. Live in such a way that every area of your life declares, “That’s who God is!” You will find a taste of the longing for eternity that God himself put in your heart.

prayer & reflection

Father God,
May my life be lived for Your pleasure and to show who You are. There are those who see my life who need to know who You are and how to have a changed life by Your power. Remind me every time I hear the phrase, “the glory of God,” that it means to simply show who You are.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 06 - "I" Insight

by Gail Rodgers
Cathy’s face glowed. She talked about the gentle care of her Heavenly Father. She told me how God had provided the people and the words that she had needed to hear as she searched for Him.

Her pain of the past has been healed and she is experiencing a wholeness in her heart that she never even knew existed. I poured the tea and listened to her story.
It’s the same story you and I hear from those who write to us through our mentoring ministry. There is hurt, confusion, fear and such a hunger that is often not even definable in the depths of their souls. We know that what they seek is that connection with God… and sometimes we may be their only link in the darkness to draw them to His love.
Cathy spoke of people God had put in her life that had said just the thing she had needed to hear. She had several examples of simple truths spoken at the right moment and God dropped that seed into fertile soil.
As each letter comes your way over the summer months, know that you have been given one of those moments in the process of a hungry heart coming to God. Ask God for insight, His insight to understand the hurt at the other end of that email. Ask Him for insight about the resulting need that hurt has brought to the surface.
Ask Him for His compassion in your heart as you write back. God knows just the nugget of truth that this fertile soil is ready to receive. His truths are simple and He will give you the words to touch each particular individual in a way that will resound in their heart.
As we take the hand of a hurting soul, in this most unique way online, ask God to give you fresh insight, His insight into just what this soul needs to hear. It need not be wordy or long. It ought not to be our own ideas of how to fix a particular problem.
We need His insight to hear the hurt and understand the need, to receive from Him the words to touch a heart that has reached out from the darkness longing to be whole.
Ask Him each time to give you the understanding and the particular truth to share. What a privilege to share a loaf and watch Father God multiply it in the hungry heart that receives it.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Thank you for each Mentor that You have brought to this ministry. Thank you that they are positioned to be the one that responds to the particular email You have directed to them. Give them fresh bread in their times with You so that they will have the freshness of Your truths overflowing in their hearts. Give them insight, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to write just what this soul needs to be drawn on in her journey to You.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 07 - "N" Needy

by Gail Rodgers
Shelly loved to reach out to others. She had a heart of compassion for those in need. She rarely thought of herself as needy.

No one likes to think of herself as needy. We prefer other adjectives for ourselves, words that reflect strength or wisdom. As mentors we stand ready to help and to share from our strength and wisdom. We often see those who come to us as the needy ones. We don’t care to have “needy” beside our own name, yet we all wear that tag.
Just for a moment think about your own needs. It’s easier to think of someone else and how you can help them. But can you identify where you are needy? We can see the needs of others clearly, but can be blind to our own.
There is a tool we can use to help us see our own need. Once you have the tool in your hand you will actually be surprised that it works so well. The tool is paying attention to any conflict in your life. Conflict often reflects our unmet needs.
Think about it for a moment. Recall the last encounter you had with conflict. Most of us don’t have to dig very far into our memories. Sometimes the unmet need is basic and easy to remedy such as the need for sleep.
But often it is much deeper. The need to feel valued and heard or the need to be accepted or respected can cause conflict from a wounded heart. Control and manipulation can stem from an angry heart, rooted in a need to forgive others or oneself.
We all have ashes in our lives. A wise friend of mine has said, “Listen for the ashes in peoples lives and then pray into them.” Ashes exist where hope has burned up and need remains. Think about where conflict exists in your life and ask God to help you identify any unmet need, whether yours or someone else’s, that may exist at the root of it. Begin to pray into those needs.
The deep needs of our heart can only be adequately met by God. He is the one who promised to bring “beauty out of ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).
When you see potential conflict lurking on your horizon… stop… and use the opportunity as a tool to build into your own life or to pray into another’s. Look honestly at yourself. Grow from it in these four ways:

• Give God the opportunity to reveal to your heart any unmet need that may be at the root of this conflict. Be open to seeing your own need and be open to praying into the needs of another. It will help dissolve hostility too.
• Recognize that God is the only One who can meet all of your needs.
• Open your heart to God’s help, asking Him to be the Source you need for that unmet need in your life. Bring another Christian alongside who can pray for you in this as you move toward God’s healing and finding “beauty from ashes.”
• Walk beside another in prayer as you pray for their unmet needs. They may not be open to you but you can pray into their life, asking God to be their Source in meeting the needs of their soul.

God invites us to ask for His help in our needs.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

God promises to be the Source for all of our unmet needs.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

As we seek God in our conflicts and allow Him to reveal where we are needy, He will supply what we need and we will be equipped, in greater ways, to extend our hands to the needy in our pathway.
Allow Him to GROW you in and through the deep needs of your heart.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 08 - "C" Common Sense

by Gail Rodgers
I said some things I shouldn’t have and she heard me. I knew the Holy Spirit was nudging me to apologize to the lady I had spoken about. I mentioned it to a friend and she immediately told me I was too sensitive, it was nothing and I should just forget it. So I did. From time to time it crossed my mind. In my heart I knew I should have carried through with my sense of what the Holy Spirit was telling me.

Sure it had seemed like a little thing, but God specializes in cleaning out little things that do not reflect His character in our lives. Sometimes it is our own “common sense” that over rules the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I didn’t really understand this until years later when I read a story from God’s own Word in Matthew 16:16-23.
Jesus walked and talked with His close followers. They saw Him do miracles of healing and miraculously feed the 5000 from one small lunch. They shared the dusty road together, shared simple meals together and talked long into the night. Jesus had just singled out Peter and blessed him in a profound way. He saw that Peter had understood the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The disciples began to understand, in a deeper way, just who Jesus really was.

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hand of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21)

Peter was appalled by this thought. Surely it could not be so!

“Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” (16:22)

Peter knew who Jesus was and it was unthinkable to him that the Son of God would be treated in such a way! His common sense told him this could not possibly be right!
Jesus responded in a very surprising way even though Peter had just been affirmed by Jesus in his new position.

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”(16:23)

“You have in mind the things of men!” It is clear that when we see things in our own wisdom we can actually be a stumbling block to God’s plan. We can never assume “position” guarantees wisdom.
Peter’s common sense and that of my friend both had in mind the things of men. Both made sense from a human perspective. Both seemed to be just good common sense. Yet both were stumbling blocks to God’s plan.
Think about it…how many times do we respond to an email or to a person or situation with wisdom that we have gained from our experience of life? We see through the filters of our own experience. God can use that experience to help others yet we need to check with Him first. Even our common sense needs to be committed to God for His insight into individual situations.
God reminds us not to lean on our own understanding, not to assume we have the wisdom for the situation. He calls us to commit everything to Him, to check with Him first and He will direct us. (Proverbs 3: 5 & 6) This includes our “common sense”.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I thank you for the privilege of being a mentor in this amazing on line ministry. Please help me to approach this opportunity with a fresh understanding of leaning not on my own common sense but checking with You first as I respond. Help me to be more keenly aware of having in mind the things of God and not of men in all areas of my life. Keep me from offering my own wisdom at the risk of causing someone to stumble. Thank you for Your promise to direct even my common sense.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 09 - "H" Heart Care

by Gail Rodgers
Bob reached for another donut. He had a busy day ahead. Sure he meant to get that gym membership but it would just have to wait. Other things had his attention right now… things that were just too important to let go. Bob never expected he would have heart trouble. Now, suddenly he was riding in the back of an ambulance! The little choices of his daily routine had taken their toll.

The little choices of our daily routine have an effect on our spiritual heart too. Oh, it’s not the donuts or the lack of exercise that causes our spiritual heart distress. We live in a culture that pulls our heart like a magnet in a direction that can leave us feeling distant from our God. We need to be mindful of the care of our hearts. God tells us:

“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

The pull of our hearts away from our God is subtle. It seldom happens in one step. It is usually an accumulation of little choices made in the course of daily routines. Things happen that disappoint us, worry us or hurt us. We can become distracted by a value system that promises satisfaction but is opposite to God’s values and proves hollow when pursued.
One day we realize we feel unsatisfied, negative and void within our heart. We recall a time when God felt so much closer. We know deep down that true satisfaction in life comes from our walk with God yet we feel the pull of our heart away from Him. We know that if we continue in that direction we will loose sight of God’s value system… and that is simply too much to loose. His value system is really the only one that brings true fulfillment.
So how does one guard her heart in this busy world with so many distractions and temptations pulling us in a direction we do not want to go?
The simple answer is to pay attention to your little choices each day just as you do when minding your physical health.

• Pay attention to what you think about. Your thoughts will play out in your behavior. That’s why God tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. 2 Corinthians 10:5
• Pay attention to your attitudes. Be conscious about keeping a thankful heart. It will change you in ways that will surprise you. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess. 5:18
• Pay attention to the things that draw your attention. Be mindful of what value system you are buying into. Monitor what is becoming the desire of your heart.
• Pay attention to God. Your heart will move from wholeness to hollowness when you let your Bible gather dust. Ask Him to speak to you.
• Pay attention to your words. God tells us “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart.” Matthew 15:18. What spills out your mouth gives you a good indication of how well you are guarding your heart.
• Pay attention to your daily habits. Am old saying reminds us that “the secret to our future lies in our daily routines”.

Be alert and make it a daily habit to guard your heart by paying attention to these areas. Christian leaders, mentors and those of you who desire to impact your world for God will find the enemy of your soul trying to draw you away from God with subtle distractions that will minimize God’s impact in your life.
Take some time today to think about each one of these areas. Ask yourself where your thoughts and desires have focused this past week. Think about what your attitudes have been. Think about how you have included or neglected God in your routines. Listen to your words and observe your habits.
These things will give you a good indication of how well you have been guarding your heart. A guarded heart moves toward wholeness while an unguarded heart will soon feel chilled and hard with a hollowness creeping into your life.
Ask God to remind you to make the little choices every day that will move your heart toward Him. Ask His Holy Spirit to fill you and give your heart a wholeness that is only the result of the God of Heaven working in you and through you. Your life will touch others and you will be blessed beyond measure.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 10 - "R" Remember

by Gail Rodgers
Susan slipped into the church and sat at the back. It had been awhile since she’d been there. She always felt going to church was negotiable. If she got there… fine, but if she missed, well, it really didn’t matter. No one seemed to notice her absence anyway.

Susan began to relax in the quietness. She realized she had missed coming and it surprised her. It felt good to be here. As the bread and wine were passed she began to remember just how important her faith was to her. The dust of busy everyday living began to wash off her soul as she was reminded.
It’s easy for us, in the business of “doing life”, to forget just what is actually proclaimed by Jesus’ death and His resurrection. As mentors, this is the foundation of all we hold out to those seeking hope.
That’s why Jesus called us to remember. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knew we would need to be reminded and He gave us this celebration to draw us back. He knows the powerful significance of His death and resurrection can so easily slip to the background of life. We can find ourselves living in dryness of soul, with divided hearts and even powerless, defeated lives. Sometimes we try to pour out to others with our own cup empty.

“Do this in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11: 26)

We may know this Celebration of Remembrance by different names; the Lord’s Table, The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, The Eucharist, yet the message of it remains the same. Remember… and with a heart of thanksgiving proclaim the triumph that echoes down through the centuries to us today. Proclaim the truth of what it means in our lives every day.
Proclaiming truth, out loud, is powerful in the spiritual realm. Revelation 12:11 tells us the enemy of our soul is defeated by the blood of Jesus and by the word of our testimony.
Remember… and proclaim it!

• I proclaim I am forgiven (Thank you Lord! You alone know how I need You.)
• I proclaim I am loved (Thank you Lord that Your love is unconditional!)
• I proclaim I am cleansed (Thank you Lord that my past is now behind me!)
• I proclaim that by God’s grace I have all that I need (Thank you Lord for your undeserved grace and mercy to help me in my time of need!)
• I proclaim that the enemy of my soul was defeated at the cross of Christ (Thank you that You give resurrection power in my life to mount above my temptations and weaknesses.)

Do you really believe it? The very same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that will be at work in your life as you believe and proclaim these truths. Welcome the Celebration of Remembering. Have your heart refreshed with forgiveness and wholeness as you believe afresh the truth of what God says about you, His child. Fill your cup here… and let it overflow to others!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Amaze my heart today with the truth of these proclamations. Thank you for the hope You revive in my heart! Fill me with Your Spirit and let Your resurrection power flow in new ways in my life. Help me to remember the power, in Your death and resurrection that is mine every day. Help me to grow into all You have planned for me to be and to do.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 11 - "I" Invitation

by Gail Rodgers
We sat in my friend’s living room. The house was quiet. The beautiful view from her living room window added to the tranquility as the grassy landscape stretched toward the city. This was a place of solitude.

Solitude is hard to find in our cultures today. We hurry, we worry, and we keep our bodies and minds in constant motion. Sometimes we encounter silence. Yet silence is not solitude… silence can be icy or even hostile at times. It can be impatient and anxious. But solitude is quietness. Solitude can lead us to tranquility. The place of solitude is the place where God’s whisper can be heard.
Perhaps you need to hear His voice in a fresh way today. Perhaps God has seemed silent as you hurry and worry and you wish He would speak. Perhaps your constant motion drowns out His still, small voice.
After a busy day Jesus knew he and His followers needed rest. He gave them an invitation that is our invitation today too. He said:

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place…” (Mark 6:31)

Sometimes God leads us to a place of solitude when He has something to say to us. He may lead us to a place where we find ourselves all alone with Him. We can struggle and try to push aside the solitude and the circumstances that brought us there. Or we can inquire and ask God what it is He needs us to hear. He just may have an inner transformation for our soul; refreshment that we desperately need or direction that we so earnestly seek.
Carve out times of solitude in your life. Be purposeful in it. Don’t wait for it to be orchestrated for you. Make room for periods of time when you willingly accept His invitation to “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place.” And then listen.

• Ask Him to teach you. Then listen.
• Ask Him to lead you to Scripture that will speak to your heart. Then listen.
• Ask Him how He is praying for you. (Romans 8:34) Then listen.
• Ask Him to show you how He is at work in your life. Then listen.
• Ask what He wants you to see and do. Then listen.

God’s voice will come:

• Through the Scripture as He reveals truth to your heart.
• As quiet thoughts when you ask and listen for His answer.
• In words from other Christians to confirm what He has told you in your heart and through His Word.
• As pictures in your mind that paint a specific picture.
• As an idea of something kind you can do for someone.

Whether your heart is tired and weary, dry and discouraged or hungry for His presence, be deliberate in carving out some regular times of solitude in your life. We make time for what is important to us. We choose. You will never know the richness of this experience if you don’t stop to move into a place of solitude.
When we choose to listen, He will speak. Be patient. Our hurried, worried bodies and minds need time to relax and be quieted. If your first attempts at solitude are restless times with random thoughts afloat in your mind don’t be discouraged. Go again… and again.
Once you can quiet your heart and mind in His presence and ask Him to speak you will begin to hear His voice of direction or correction, of revelation or encouragement… and you will want to hurry back.

• Make time in your life for God to speak.
• Be quiet and silence your “to do” list for God
• Keep going until your heart learns to listen.
• Expect inner transformations. That’s how we grow.

Don’t settle for less than His presence. Don’t settle for dry toast when He has a banquet waiting. Accept His invitation, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place.”

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 12 - "S" Spiritual Blessings

by Gail Rodgers
We all want them… God’s blessings. As Christians we often ask God for His blessings of health, finances, friendship, even event coordination and weather. The numerous things we envision that would make our lives better are often the focus of our prayers. We look to His hand for what He provides.

God invites us to ask… He invites us to know Him in a deeper way than ever before by not only looking to His Hand for provision but to His face to know Him better.
God gives us guidelines as to how to ask. He even tells us what to ask for first. He gives us some specific instruction regarding those things of life that He knows will take our attention.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… those who do not know God run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” But… “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

There is a promise of the provision of our physical needs as we seek His Kingdom first. Yet the material things are noted as additional blessing to the greater picture of the riches we receive in seeking His Kingdom.
What does it mean to seek God’s Kingdom first? How do we move from the glaring physical needs in our lives to focus on things that are not seen?
Shift your focus
It’s not easy. Our own physical needs easily take front and center stage. Yet God asks us to move our focus off our circumstances. Lift your eyes… to the Lord. Focus on who He is as our helper and not just on the immediate relief from pressure.

“I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1)

Recognize your greatest blessings
Your greatest blessings occur in the spiritual realm and not in the physical realm. Think on this for a moment and ask God to open your mind to this realization. Thank Him.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

What are your spiritual blessings?
Turn your attention for a few moments, from the particular physical blessing you are seeking. Contemplate the spiritual blessings God has given you as you lift your eyes…

• You were chosen by God before the creation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) He knows exactly what you are going through today.
• In love, God adopted you as His child through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:5) You are secure in the hands of your Father God right now.
• Your sins have been forgiven through the blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:7) Confess your failure and know it is forgiven, never to be held against you. This moment is a clean page to trust Him and see Him work.
• God lavishes the riches of His grace on you with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:8) All of God’s riches and resources are yours. Everything you need to walk where you walk He will pour out as you ask. Wisdom, patience, love, joy, gentleness, grace, peace, faith… whatever you lack, He offers.
• He works everything out in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11) You can rest assured He has your best interest at heart. Believe it!
• You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13) His Spirit will be your Helper and your Comforter in all of the circumstances of your life. He will hold you through the storm. Ask for His filling.

Live in the power
As you focus on your spiritual blessings first and ask God to open your eyes to see them clearly, you will receive power to walk through your circumstances.
Keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

“Pray that the eyes of your heart may be opened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead… (Ephesians 1:17-20)

Seek first
Hope that can overflow in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is so much more than just surviving. (Romans 15:13)

Strength in your inner being through the power of His Spirit. His spiritual riches will give you everything you need for life and godliness. (Ephesians 3:16 & 2 Peter 1:3)

As you lift your eyes up and shift your focus to your spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm, God makes a promise…

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20 & 21)

Dare to move beyond seeking only from His hand… and look up into His face.
Seek His kingdom first.

[bluidkiti]

Alive In Christ Part 13 - "T" Thirsting

by Gail Rodgers
Take a moment and think back to when you first opened your life and your heart to Jesus. Do you remember the hunger and the thirst you felt in your spirit? Do you recall the satisfying fullness He brought to your heart? Do you remember the song He put there?

The Bible tells us that He gives us a new song… a song in our hearts with a melody of praise. It’s a song with music that draws others to put their trust in Him.
Remember your thirst for Him as you read His Word…

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:2 & 3).

The day you entered into your relationship with God and accepted the forgiveness Jesus offered, you received a new song in your heart, a song different from the music of the world. A song He put there so others will hear the music and be drawn to Him too.
Yet sometimes we let life drown out the song He put there. We allow circumstances to steal the music away. Sometimes we even look for other music to move to but it sounds hollow as we seek other things first.
Ask God to stir afresh the cords of the music He put in your heart when He gave you your new song. Ask Him to cause your heart to thirst for His song to burst forth again in your heart. He promises that when we hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness, we will be filled. That filling will surpass any fullness the world can offer!
Choose today to sing again the new song God Himself put within your heart. Say with the Psalm writer:

“I will sing a new song to you O God. (Psalm 144:9)

prayer & reflection

Father God,
So often I have gotten off tune or lost the melody of the new song you put in my heart when I came to know You. Refresh Your music in my heart today. Forgive me for allowing myself to be sidetracked and seeking other things before You. Help me today as I determine I will sing a new song to You, O God. Help me to look for Your blessings, to walk in Your strength, to trust You and to have Your priority of seeing others put their trust in You. Thank you for Your music in my life. Teach me to sing it passionately and boldly. Help me to move to Your music today.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.