Saturday, February 19, 2011 Being Matters More than Doing by Robert Ricciardelli God wants our being more than our doing. Our being in Him matters most. He is always in us, but are we consciously in Him? Do we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His nature? We want to make a difference, and yet often miss our Creator who is ever calling us towards Himself. Consciously transition to time with God by listening, responding, and resting in Him while we... Read more

Where does vision come from? How does a leader develop a clear vision for the future?At the earliest stages, the word “vision” may be somewhat misleading, portraying vision as a picture that we can see. The birthplace of vision isn’t the mind’s eye, but the heart. In the beginning, visionaries are guided by passion not sight. They must feel their way in the dark at first, and only through time do they gain a mental image of what the future... Read more

Para esto Dios los llamó por nuestro evangelio, a fin de que tengan parte en la gloria de nuestro Señor Jesucristo» (2 Tesalonicenses 2:14)El mandato claro de la Palabra de Dios para quienes vivan los últimos tiempos es que sean intrépidos al enfrentar las tinieblas. Hablando a través del profeta Isaías, el Espíritu del Señor ordena a los suyos:            « ¡Levántate y resplandece, que tu luz ha llegado!                ¡La Gloria del Señor brilla sobre ti!                 Mira, las tinieblas cubren... Read more

“And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —2 Thessalonians 2:14 The Word of God states plainly—no, it commands those at the end of the age to be fearless in the face of darkness! Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, the Spirit of the Lord orders His people:     Arise, shine; for your light has come,    And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.    For... Read more

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 (ESV) This text comes from an author seeking to relate our situation to the one the Israelites faced when they were offered the promised land. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness…” (Hebrews 3:7-8 -ESV). The Israelites had heard... Read more

God is sovereign and always with you, and yet your attitudes, beliefs, and commitments matter. You do not look to man for all the answers, you look to God for the illumination of truth. He gives you wisdom and empowerment to create life by what you think, what you speak forth, and by what you do. God desires to be a part of every moment in your life. Both you and God determine the outcome of your life. Read more

“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.” Psalms 25:4 To fear the Lord is to be taught of the Lord. In fact, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But this wisdom is so beyond human ken it must be supernatural. Therefore, only by imbibing the “spirit of the fear of the Lord” (Isa 11:2) will we be filled with the desire and the ability to learn His ways. But how does the... Read more

“How STUPID” was the comment my wife and I simultaneously uttered last night while watching the news report of Republican congressman Chris Lee resigning after his shirtless Craigslist post. The reporter said, “Republican politician resigns after woman’s web search reveals ‘fit fun classy guy’ posing as divorcee to be in fact married with a son.” You probably know the story by now. Our response of “how stupid” resulted from the disconnect. After all, how could a powerful, second-term US Congressman... Read more

“But I will trust in thee.” Psalm 55:23 It is one thing to boast of faith when all things are great and wonderful. But it is an entirely different matter when one can walk in the triumph of trust while things are desperate all about. The Psalmist here is a man whose prayers are not being answered; indeed, it would seem to him that his voice is not even being heard in heaven at all. And it’s not like he’s... Read more

Before the dawning of the First Day of creation, before the First Second of measurable time had been recorded, God desired and sought a Body that would represent Himself, His being, His character, His essence. In eternity, before the appearance of light or lands or any created thing, God spoke into the void that was to become the container of life and declared, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” An Expression of Intention With mysterious... Read more