Simple Thoughts

1) A KEY fruit of obedience to God is peace... For a genuinely reborn and transformed Christian (meaning we are now in His grip), many times we wonder about Gods will and stress about key decisions in life. I believe God is not as concerned with certain decisions and actions as much as we think He does. He is concerned with obedience... with our hearts abiding in Him, enjoying Him as we are lead by the Holy Spirit through His word. Instead of tackling the hard to answer questions in life, start by examining the fruits in your life first. What are they? Is your heart at Peace or constant worry and anxiety? Remember, while God uses our struggles, our times of sin, our times of deep despair for His good, it is clear what the fruits of the spirit are (Galatians 5). Anxiety, fear, worry, depression are never the work of the Holy Spirit. Striving to live a life of obedience and worship (faithful little things) will lead you to do great things in Christ... who is the great potter. Not because we are able but because God is a great orchestrator.

2) Among certain specific things, I have a great passion to see Christians in America use their fortune and resources for Kingdom purposes. Certain sub messages are more appropriate for certain cultures and circumstances... for America, the biblical understanding of how to deal with our "riches" is important... just practically speaking. 1 Timothy 6 illustrates and hits home the root issue of money. Our hearts are deceptive and deceitful. Even those with the best intentions are vulnerable to the lull of greed and the destruction and disaster that can follow. Greed is much like a drug... much like lust... it has a consuming quality to it. Before you know it.. our hearts can lead us down a dangerous road that spurs other destructive behaviors. Greed also wears many cloaks, status? symbols? comfort? complacency? frivolousness? Perhaps branches off the same tree. Our hearts have a way of convincing us to compromise or become insensitive altogether. At times, it feels like a great burden to carry... because knowing my heart I know it may be easier not to be called a steward for "so much"... However, God never gives us more than we can handle and calls us to be "rich in good deeds".