New Mindset

New Mindset
Our Mindset enables or disables us in everything that we do. A New Mindset is an essential part of who we are, how we act, and what we say.
Getting to the root of our way of thinking
Traditions; our upbringing, teaching, environment is always foundational. It’s the slab that is poured before the building begins. Depending on who the builder is depends on the stability of the house.
• What was a foundational belief in your childhood home (relationships, school, God)? Do you still have that same belief?
• What was the best advice someone has given you in you teenage years? Did it benefit you or not?

• What was common in the lifestyle of your neighbors, friends in your neighborhood? Do you practice any of those actions today?
These questions are just to give you an idea of foundational myths/truths that possible shaped you in a positive or negative way.
Every one of us have been shaped in some way positive/ negative because of our upbringing, teaching, and environment. Those are the roots that begin to shape the way that we think our mindset.
Example: When a mother tells her children no don’t touch that is hot. Instantly that child knows every time she sees that stove she will remember her mother’s words. (teaching)
The same child sees her mother feeding her baby brother with a bottle she begins to model/copy what mommy is doing with her doll. Dad always comes home angry and screaming at her mother. The child response is to comfort her mother, and to dislike men with the same characteristics. (environment)
Those three aspects of our lives shape our mindset, our perception/ view of things. Some things are obvious and some are invisible. Part of getting a new mind is identifying what shape it from the beginning.

 

The Outlook Of The Church

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Outlook Of The Church Jothany Blackwood“Behold, I am about to do a new thing! See, it has already begun…” Isaiah 43:19One of the hallmarks of the church is that it is the gathering place for people starting over. And starting over opens the door to being a part of something larger than ourselves. It offers an open invitation to all to come and do the necessary work to be better. And being better can be evidenced by birthing our dormant dreams and releasing our issues to welcome in better things. The church, by its very nature, represents tradition as well as signals new directions and destiny. It often requires that folks change their outlook in order to move into their destiny. This is critical in our Christian walk because a change in our outlook usually determines our outcome. Your current outlook is usually a good barometer of the direction of your life. When God tells you to look at what He is about to do, He is talking about vision. You have to be able to see that He is getting ready to change things. Next, the church positions us in a posture of expectancy that God will bring a new thing into our lives. Believe that He has already begun it so it can move from the spirit realm into your reality. Maybe you’ve been expecting something for a long time and yet find yourself in the same place. But when we ask God to change our outlook, then we are in a position to reframe our lives. And we can accept with certainty that the things around us will change, our dreams will come to pass, and our walk will begin to align with that expectation. Often our outlook is influenced by the people around us. So the church forces us to conduct an inspection of our connections. And this is so important because they can have profound impact on the depth and breadth of our vision. So we have to be intentional about the people we allow around us as they can abort our purpose, just by denying it’s even an option in our lives. And you have a responsibility not to miscarry God’s vision for your life. So if you desire to move into a higher dimension, then you need to get away from people who have your problem and around people that have your solution. The church strategically equips us with the power to bring our destiny to pass. And as we focus on more bowing down as a body, there will be less breaking down in our individual lives. And we would be better prepared to receive the new thing that God has promised us. God has sent a word that He will bring a new thing to our lives. And He will use the church to usher us into a greater destiny in Him!

 

COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In   Florida , an atheist created a case against the Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days.  The argument was, it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day(s). The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, ‘Case dismissed.’

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, ‘Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case?  The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.’

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, ‘But you do.  Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.’

The lawyer said, ‘Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.’

The judge said, ‘The calendar says April 1st is ‘April Fools Day.’ Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’  Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool.  Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.

 

Check this link out it is great.

It reminds us of what God has done for us.

http://www.maximumreferrals.com/bridge

 

Living in the Vine

Living in the Vine
by Jeanne Rogers

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who
remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus described His vital union with the Father. He told Jewish leaders that He was there to do His Father’s work and only did and said what the Father commanded. They judged Him as blasphemous when He said, “The Father and I are one,” and they picked up stones to kill Him. (John 10:30)

As the disciples journeyed with Jesus, they witnessed the miraculous affects of that intimate bond with His Father. During the Passover meal He gave them a simple picture to help them live the same way. Jesus is the vine, the Father is the gardener and we are the branches. (John 15:1-8)

He explained how the Father’s love and life flows through the vine to the branches. “I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in His love.” (John 15:9-10)

The word “remain” reveals the action believers must take to live in the supply of His life. It comes from the Greek word meno, and gives the idea of being stable, consistently rooted and steadfastly immovable in our union with Him and His Word.

Satan despises the powerful love union between God and His Son. In the desert, he tempted Jesus to break the connection and live independently of the Father, but Jesus trusted in the Father’s Word and refused to succumb to temptation. In the same way, Satan entices Christians to doubt God’s Word and choose independence from His life and love.

Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection made the ultimate assault on Satan’s power to disconnect believers from their life-flow. Our Savior is alive and He holds the keys of death and Hades. (Rev. 1:17-18)  Only through the Vine are we able to experience His victory over Satan in this life and eternity.

Jesus wants us to take up our cross–to abide steadfastly and immovable as we follow Him. “All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.” (John 12:26)

As we abide and follow, the Spirit of God connects us to people and situations where we can demonstrate Christ’s character and love. Paul writes, “But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” (Gal. 6:8) He brings fruitfulness!

When we have produced much fruit, the Gardener prunes us. Why prune a fruitful believer? Jesus explained, “I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”  (John 15:11)

Jesus gave us the pattern. “I live by the power of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, those who partake of me will live because of me.” (John 6:57) As we live, partaking of His love and life in the Father, we will move in obedience and keep the channel flowing to touch others. Our life is in the Vine.
This Week
Consider the illustration of the vine and branches. If Jesus in the vine and we are the branches, what do the tendrils on the branches represent? How does God prune and how does this action benefit a believer? Read Ephesians 3:14-19 and discover how wide, how long, how high, how deep is this love in the Vine.

Prayer
“Jesus, You are the Vine that gives me life. I don’t want to live independently. I want to remain and partake of You. Prune me for greater fruitfulness so Your joy will come forth in my life.”

 

The Rain

Stop at the picture for a second, and watch the Rain… then read on…

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets
of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the
roads are wet and slick.
Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen,
spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m
thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some
fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all
that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain!” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield
wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond.
“That’s really good, Aspen.”

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take
this revelation? So I asked… “Do you notice how the rain
keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”
Aspen didn’t hesitate one moment with her answer:

“We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”
I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
Isn’t it distressing to know that when you forward this message
you will not send it to many on your address list because
you’re not sure what they believe, or what they
will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think
of us than what God thinks of us.

In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.

READ THE FIRST LINE CAREFULLY.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

__._,_.___

 

BIBLE CLASSES AS ELECTIVE

Every public high school in Texas would offer elective courses based on the Bible under legislation pushed by a key lawmaker.

Rodolfo Gonzalez/2006 AMERICAN-STATESMAN (enlarge photo) Last year, Leander ISD’s Cedar Park High School was the only school district in Central Texas where Bible courses were offered to high school students. The class, where students including Tyler Steczkowski, 16, consult a Bible to answer questions, has gained recognition for its scope and objectivity.

House Bill 1287, written by Appropriations Committee Chairman Warren Chisum, calls for all school districts to offer separate electives on the literature and history of the Old Testament and New Testament eras if there is sufficient interest, which means 15 students wanting to take the class, said Chisum, R-Pampa. Stu- dents would not be required to take it.

“It’s the basis of our society,” said Chisum, whose proposal has more than 40 co-authors. “A lot of stuff in the Bible finds its way into our dictionaries, into our arts, into all of our literature, into the laws.”

The House Public Education Committee was scheduled to hear public testimony on the plan Tuesday evening and will do so again April 10.

Chisum’s proposal says the classes must be taught in an objective and nondevotional manner. But Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network, which monitors social conservatism in government, said it does not go far enough to make that happen.

She said that teachers should be trained in church-state legal issues and that the state should closely monitor whether the classes are appropriate, two things not required by Chisum’s bill. She also said that offering the courses should remain optional for schools.

About two dozen of the state’s 1,040 school districts now have similar classes.

Marc Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University, reviewed high school Bible courses in Texas for the Freedom Network last year. Most of them promoted Christianity and lacked properly trained teachers, he said.

“When teachers don’t have a biblical studies background and a First Amendment background, they fall back on their own religious experiences or on what they’ve derived from popular culture,” Chancey said. “Religious views creep into the classroom, sometimes despite their very best intentions.”

He said that there has been a flurry of legislation similar to Chisum’s filed in other states but that no other state required schools to offer the classes.

The only Austin-area public school with such a class at the time of Chancey’s study was Cedar Park High School. He praised that class for its broad scope and objectivity.

Under Chisum’s proposal, the primary texts of the classes would be the Old Testament and New Testament. Teachers could include other works, including secular books or those from other religions.

Chisum said he expects that local school boards would actively monitor the classes to make sure that teachers are properly trained and have the right materials.

“I think the school board’s going to be extremely involved in this to make sure that it doesn’t get into preaching and just gets into teaching,” he said.

jembry@statesman.com

WHAT DO YOU THINK????????

 

Glory to Glory

I encourage you to read cbgrace blog it’s great.

She states that in order to hear the secrets of God we must seek his heart.Amen

This statement jumps into my soul.

I love the Lord so much

He desires the truth in the inward parts stated in Psalms.

The truth is where he thrives

He is just like a Father who desires to spend every waking moment with his child.

He wants to see our first steps, hear our first words

Be there when we fall so he can catch us with open arms

Embrace us with his love

We don’t serve a distant God

We serve a God who draws near to us as we draw near to him

He loves us, he wants to reveal every thing to his children

he wants to tell us the plans and purpose he has for us

He wants intimacy

As our Pastor Robin Steele states

Intimacy comes with honesty

 

The Passion

 This is how much God loves us.

If you click the picture you can see the whole chapter of Isaiah 53.

 

DON’T DIE DREAM-LESS

In August 28, 1963

Martin Luther King JR. spoke the I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH TO THOUSANDS.

A week later after the “I HAVE A DREAM” Speech people were getting killed.

When your dream is starting to flourish the KILLER, THE STEALER, THE DESTROYER tries to discourage the vision that God has shown you. He tries to destroy everything that represents HOPE.

You have to stand in the midst of the storm.

Don’t be discourage or dismayed!

Hold fast to your dream that God has given you and Believe!

The Vision on what is ahead

Hold fast and don’t let go

Your dream is flourishing

Be encourage Children of God

God is the dream giver

He has the vision for your life

There is none like our GOD!

No one!!!!

No not one or nothing can overtake him!!!

We trust in a ALMIGHTY GOD

HAVE FAITH IN GOD!

DO NOT DIE DREAM-LESS

DO NOT DIE VISION-LESS

DIE FULFILLED

DIE ACCOMPLISHED

DIE with the words written on your tomb stone ” IT IS FINISHED”

What ever God’s dream is

What ever God’s vision is

Allow it to be finished in your life

SEEK HIM

WALK IN HIM

LIVE IN HIM

Live the DREAM

Live the VISION

GOD has for your life.

Martin Luther king Jr stated I Have A Dream

He did what God told him to do.

Now what about your dream?

Martin Luther King Jr. has now been dead longer than he lived. But what an extraordinary life it was.

At 33, he was pressing the case of civil rights with President John Kennedy. At 34, he galvanized the nation with his “I Have a Dream” speech. At 35, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. At 39, he was assassinated, but he left a legacy of hope and inspiration that continues today.