You probably want to ask, “Why me? How can I help? What can any individual like me possibly do to affect the progress of God’s world?” These are very legitimate questions, and there is one simple answer. Just be yourself. God is not looking for a superstar. God needs people who will demonstrate the Kingdom by living successful, happy and progressive lives. Your job is just to do the things that you usually do and trust God to work through your life to protect you, empower you and enable you to experience the kind of victory that demonstrates to the world that God's marvelous creation can actually work. God is willing to actually live within you in the form of the Holy Spirit and give you supernatural support.
God is not calling you to be a missionary or a preacher or to join the Peace Core. God is not even concerned that you be a philanthropist and give money to build churches or hospitals or feed the poor, unless of course your giving reflects who you really are and a cause in which you believe. One cannot buy God's support. It is not even important that you put a “honk if you love Jesus” bumper sticker on your car.
God Just wants you to be yourself. Note below the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. “You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (Matt hew 5:13). The only way for salt to demonstrate its preservative nature is by being salty, just doing its thing. Salt just has to be salt. There is nothing else that salt can do that will have any positive effect whatsoever, and the only thing that Jesus wants from salt is saltiness. The only thing that Jesus wants from you for you to be yourself. Do your own thing and trust God to keep your world smooth and successful.
Note again the words of Jesus.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).
The point of this parable is exactly the same. The only way for a candle to accomplish its purpose and give off light is by burning, being real, doing what candles do, which is exactly what God wants from you. That you just be yourself and do your thing. When your world functions smoothly by faith, God’s world is working.
God wants you to demonstrate how God's world is supposed to work, and God is willing to do wonderful things for you to help make it happen. God will protect you. This does not mean of course that you can put yourself out on the edge by driving down the wrong side of the freeway or seeking sadistic thrills by playing Russian Roulette, but you wouldn't do that, because that would do nothing to advance God's cause. Jesus makes it plan that one should never tempt God, but if you live in a normal somewhat restrained and purpose driven manner, you can be sure that you are safe in the hands of the ever present Holy Spirit.
God will also protect you against disease. You don’t have to worry about the things most people struggle with such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease or stroke. God is your protector. You can live free from disease. The caveat of course is in your lifestyle. You must live within the reasonable parameters of exercise, which is a cross for some, a balanced diet, which is a cross for others, good work habits and restraint from the kinds of activities that produce disease such as smoking and the uncontrolled pursuit of pleasure. Assuming however, that you live with normal restraint, God will honor your effort with complete protection regardless of where you are or what you are doing.
Remember, Spiritual Power trumps everything else. God wants this world to work, and God will reward you and others who are trying to make it happen with good health and protection and many other wonderful things as well, all by faith of course.
God will also protect your family and friends. There are limits of course, because some people are just not interested, but their health and protection are also important to God. When any one of the people you love experiences life threatening hardship, it affects you and your ability to function. God therefore wants these people to remain healthy and will use supernatural power to that end.
The abundant life that you live by faith demonstrates God's love and God's ability to make this wonderful world work. Keep up the good work.
Earl
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
God’s Program of Abundance
You are a very important person. There are ways that you can advance God’s program that are unique to you and completely beyond the reach of all others. You can do things for God that no one else can do. God has groomed you and has a vested interest in your progress. It is, therefore, very important to God that you be happy and successful and that your life run smoothly.
Several years ago when my grandson Andrew was two years old, my wife Patricia ordered a large green truck for us to give Andrew as a Christmas present. The truck came in November in a big box. The picture on the outside of the box showed the whole truck, so we assumed it was assembled and didn’t think anything about it until we opened the box on the Friday night before Christmas eve, which was on Saturday. It was then that we realized that the truck was in thirteen different pieces and had to be assembled.
The next two hours Patricia and I worked vigorously to put together Andrew”s toy truck. Actually, the process was a lot of fun, and when the job was done and the truck was fully assembled, we stood back and admired our handiwork. It was a marvelous moment, until all of a sudden we realized the project was only half completed. The other half depended on Andrew. Would he like it? Would he play with it? Would he share the toy with his sister and other friends? Would he take care of the truck and use it safely. The success of our two hour effort that Friday evening did not depend on the truck at all but rather on the two year old boy for whom the truck was assembled. If Andrew and his sister fought over the truck or if he destroyed it if a week, or even worse, if Andrew pushed the truck in front of a moving automobile our two hour effort and the money we spent would have been colossal failure.
And so it is with God and this wonderful world that God created. “God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, even after thousands of years, the people for whom God made the world can’t make it work. Families breakup, children are abused, poverty is blatant, and new technology often creates more pain than progress. The world just isn’t working the way it should.
God created a marvelous world. The creation process must have been a stretch even for God. God’s number one priority is that this wonderful world work the way it was intended to work. God wants more than anything else for God’s creative effort to prove successful. God wants people to be happy, to get along with each other and work together as a team to solve the preconceived problems generated by an ever increasing population and an expanding society.
The reason God is willing to be a part of your life and give you supernatural support is very simple. God needs your help. This is not a weakness on God’s part. It is merely a testimony to the interdependent nature of the world that God created. It will never work as it should unless people work together to make it happen. God made a world which was by design dependant on the people who live in it.
Without changing the cause and effect system on which this world operates, God can only work through the lives and activities of human beings. Only human beings can create an atmosphere of peace and progress and teamwork. Only human beings can provide the labor, the technology and the leadership required to keep the world moving forward, and only you can make your small part of God’s world work. The tripe phrase, “Jesus has no hands but your hands” is very true, at least in your personal world.
God’s success as a creator is totally dependant on men and women just like you. If the people of this world cannot obtain a level of civilization where people live in peace and work together to solve the problems that arise, then God’s creative effort will have been wasted. God will have been a failure.
Everything depends on you and other believers, and the scary thing is, that the growth of negative influence is such that time could be running out. This world cannot forever sustain an ever increasing population and the continuing growth of poverty, crime, disease and violence.
Are you beginning to understand the nature of God’s program and just how important you really are? God made for us a wonderful world, but it isn’t working very well. You and others like you are the only hope that God’s marvelous experiment may yet prove successful, and that most of the people of this world might yet have a reasonable opportunity to experience happiness, purpose and fulfilment.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
Several years ago when my grandson Andrew was two years old, my wife Patricia ordered a large green truck for us to give Andrew as a Christmas present. The truck came in November in a big box. The picture on the outside of the box showed the whole truck, so we assumed it was assembled and didn’t think anything about it until we opened the box on the Friday night before Christmas eve, which was on Saturday. It was then that we realized that the truck was in thirteen different pieces and had to be assembled.
The next two hours Patricia and I worked vigorously to put together Andrew”s toy truck. Actually, the process was a lot of fun, and when the job was done and the truck was fully assembled, we stood back and admired our handiwork. It was a marvelous moment, until all of a sudden we realized the project was only half completed. The other half depended on Andrew. Would he like it? Would he play with it? Would he share the toy with his sister and other friends? Would he take care of the truck and use it safely. The success of our two hour effort that Friday evening did not depend on the truck at all but rather on the two year old boy for whom the truck was assembled. If Andrew and his sister fought over the truck or if he destroyed it if a week, or even worse, if Andrew pushed the truck in front of a moving automobile our two hour effort and the money we spent would have been colossal failure.
And so it is with God and this wonderful world that God created. “God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, even after thousands of years, the people for whom God made the world can’t make it work. Families breakup, children are abused, poverty is blatant, and new technology often creates more pain than progress. The world just isn’t working the way it should.
God created a marvelous world. The creation process must have been a stretch even for God. God’s number one priority is that this wonderful world work the way it was intended to work. God wants more than anything else for God’s creative effort to prove successful. God wants people to be happy, to get along with each other and work together as a team to solve the preconceived problems generated by an ever increasing population and an expanding society.
The reason God is willing to be a part of your life and give you supernatural support is very simple. God needs your help. This is not a weakness on God’s part. It is merely a testimony to the interdependent nature of the world that God created. It will never work as it should unless people work together to make it happen. God made a world which was by design dependant on the people who live in it.
Without changing the cause and effect system on which this world operates, God can only work through the lives and activities of human beings. Only human beings can create an atmosphere of peace and progress and teamwork. Only human beings can provide the labor, the technology and the leadership required to keep the world moving forward, and only you can make your small part of God’s world work. The tripe phrase, “Jesus has no hands but your hands” is very true, at least in your personal world.
God’s success as a creator is totally dependant on men and women just like you. If the people of this world cannot obtain a level of civilization where people live in peace and work together to solve the problems that arise, then God’s creative effort will have been wasted. God will have been a failure.
Everything depends on you and other believers, and the scary thing is, that the growth of negative influence is such that time could be running out. This world cannot forever sustain an ever increasing population and the continuing growth of poverty, crime, disease and violence.
Are you beginning to understand the nature of God’s program and just how important you really are? God made for us a wonderful world, but it isn’t working very well. You and others like you are the only hope that God’s marvelous experiment may yet prove successful, and that most of the people of this world might yet have a reasonable opportunity to experience happiness, purpose and fulfilment.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Abundance Now
One reason people have difficulty accepting this view of the abundant life is that it seems unrealistic. God probably has the power to change things, but the age of miracles has passed. Sure, God could intervene and change things, but that is just not the way things happen. Our world is more civilized. What we need to realize is that miracles were not common in Jesus’ age either. The other people who came on the scene as messiah pretenders were rejected because they could not preform miracles. Had Jesus not done the great works that he did, he would not have been accepted even by the few.
The Gospel of Jesus was a gospel of miracles. Jesus controlled circumstances. And he used his awesome power to make the lives of the people he met more abundant. Note the words of John the Baptist when he introduced Jesus to the crowd of people gathered on the banks of the Jordan River. “There cometh one after me who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have indeed baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8). In other words, there is one coming who processes a level of power, which is beyond my comprehension, and he is coming to share that awesome power with each of you through the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist was a very strong man with great influence. People came from miles around to hear him preach. He baptized thousands, and his deeds were recorded by Josephus, the Jewish historian. But the power that John demonstrated was common to all of us, in varying degrees of course, but we all have it. Natural power is the ability to do natural things. It involves energy, intelligence, resourcefulness, etc. But the power that Jesus brought to the table was supernatural, over and above the things that normally give strength and from a source outside the realm of the natural. And Jesus came to extend that power to you.
Jesus didn’t take over the world or become a ruler of people as he very well could have, because that just wasn’t what he was about. In spite of the thinking of our Muslin friends, God has no interest in this world or any part of it becoming a theocracy. Jesus used his marvelous, supernatural power then as he does now through the Holy Spirit to affect people and enable them to move beyond negative circumstances. Jesus healed sick people, usually with just a word. He made some who were lame to walk again and caused blind people to see. On one occasion, he fed a large crowd with five loves and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-21). After the feast, and the five thousand plus people were well fed, the disciples actually picked up twelve baskets filled with leftovers, and all from that one small box lunch, a simply amazing demonstration of supernatural creative energy, and how Jesus used his Supernatural energy to make the lives of the people he met better.
Jesus lived and demonstrated the abundant life everyday. He used his miraculous supernatural power to affect the circumstances of those around him and make their lives more abundant. He relieved the fear of his disciples when he stilled a storm at sea. He simply spoke three words, “peace be still.”(Mark 4:35-41). On one occasion Jesus went to the aid of a friend named Lazarus only to find out that he had been deceased for four days, so long he actually “stinketh.” Jesus removed the anguish of Lazarus’ family and again used only three words, “Lazarus come forth,” and Lazarus did so, no longer dead but alive (John 11:1-44) and “bound hand and foot with grave clothes.” Jesus said “loose him and let him go.”
This marvelous ability to preform spontaneous miracles was a very important part of Jesus ministry. In spite of what some would have us believe, Jesus was more than a good teacher, even more than the blood sacrifice offered in atonement for our sins. Jesus was very much a man of power. He dominated the world around him as no other human being ever has. Note Jesus response to a question from John concerning his authenticity. “Go and show John again the things which you see and hear. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear” (Matthew 11:4).
Even the night that Jesus was betrayed and taken prisoner by a group of soldiers he was in complete control. The entire army “drew back and fell to the ground,” (John 18:6). No army in history, regardless of its size could have taken Jesus that night or any other night, had he chosen to resist. Note that none of his people were arrested. I wonder why? The spiritual power of God will always trump the natural material power of human beings, even political power. Those soldiers did not realize just how lucky they were.
God wants you to experience abundance, and Jesus came to empower you and give you the ability to make it happen.
Note again the words of Jesus. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). Jesus did not use the word greater to mean bigger. He wasn’t saying that you will be called on to still a more violent storm or feed a larger crowd of people or heal a more deadly disease. Jesus was speaking of the effect that the supernatural power of God can have on nitty, gritty things that happen every day, things greater to you even though they may seem unimportant to the world.
The “abundant life” is the transfer of the power of Jesus into your daily experience. It will give you the ability to control your own destiny and to dominate events and circumstances as Jesus dominated the circumstances of his day. As Jesus did not go out of his way to solve the problems of others, probably neither should you. Life today is different, In all likelihood you will never be called upon to heal sick people or call back to life those who have passed away. However, the abundance you will experience will prove to be exciting, satisfying, productive; secure and laced with opportunity.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
The Gospel of Jesus was a gospel of miracles. Jesus controlled circumstances. And he used his awesome power to make the lives of the people he met more abundant. Note the words of John the Baptist when he introduced Jesus to the crowd of people gathered on the banks of the Jordan River. “There cometh one after me who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have indeed baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8). In other words, there is one coming who processes a level of power, which is beyond my comprehension, and he is coming to share that awesome power with each of you through the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist was a very strong man with great influence. People came from miles around to hear him preach. He baptized thousands, and his deeds were recorded by Josephus, the Jewish historian. But the power that John demonstrated was common to all of us, in varying degrees of course, but we all have it. Natural power is the ability to do natural things. It involves energy, intelligence, resourcefulness, etc. But the power that Jesus brought to the table was supernatural, over and above the things that normally give strength and from a source outside the realm of the natural. And Jesus came to extend that power to you.
Jesus didn’t take over the world or become a ruler of people as he very well could have, because that just wasn’t what he was about. In spite of the thinking of our Muslin friends, God has no interest in this world or any part of it becoming a theocracy. Jesus used his marvelous, supernatural power then as he does now through the Holy Spirit to affect people and enable them to move beyond negative circumstances. Jesus healed sick people, usually with just a word. He made some who were lame to walk again and caused blind people to see. On one occasion, he fed a large crowd with five loves and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-21). After the feast, and the five thousand plus people were well fed, the disciples actually picked up twelve baskets filled with leftovers, and all from that one small box lunch, a simply amazing demonstration of supernatural creative energy, and how Jesus used his Supernatural energy to make the lives of the people he met better.
Jesus lived and demonstrated the abundant life everyday. He used his miraculous supernatural power to affect the circumstances of those around him and make their lives more abundant. He relieved the fear of his disciples when he stilled a storm at sea. He simply spoke three words, “peace be still.”(Mark 4:35-41). On one occasion Jesus went to the aid of a friend named Lazarus only to find out that he had been deceased for four days, so long he actually “stinketh.” Jesus removed the anguish of Lazarus’ family and again used only three words, “Lazarus come forth,” and Lazarus did so, no longer dead but alive (John 11:1-44) and “bound hand and foot with grave clothes.” Jesus said “loose him and let him go.”
This marvelous ability to preform spontaneous miracles was a very important part of Jesus ministry. In spite of what some would have us believe, Jesus was more than a good teacher, even more than the blood sacrifice offered in atonement for our sins. Jesus was very much a man of power. He dominated the world around him as no other human being ever has. Note Jesus response to a question from John concerning his authenticity. “Go and show John again the things which you see and hear. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear” (Matthew 11:4).
Even the night that Jesus was betrayed and taken prisoner by a group of soldiers he was in complete control. The entire army “drew back and fell to the ground,” (John 18:6). No army in history, regardless of its size could have taken Jesus that night or any other night, had he chosen to resist. Note that none of his people were arrested. I wonder why? The spiritual power of God will always trump the natural material power of human beings, even political power. Those soldiers did not realize just how lucky they were.
God wants you to experience abundance, and Jesus came to empower you and give you the ability to make it happen.
Note again the words of Jesus. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). Jesus did not use the word greater to mean bigger. He wasn’t saying that you will be called on to still a more violent storm or feed a larger crowd of people or heal a more deadly disease. Jesus was speaking of the effect that the supernatural power of God can have on nitty, gritty things that happen every day, things greater to you even though they may seem unimportant to the world.
The “abundant life” is the transfer of the power of Jesus into your daily experience. It will give you the ability to control your own destiny and to dominate events and circumstances as Jesus dominated the circumstances of his day. As Jesus did not go out of his way to solve the problems of others, probably neither should you. Life today is different, In all likelihood you will never be called upon to heal sick people or call back to life those who have passed away. However, the abundance you will experience will prove to be exciting, satisfying, productive; secure and laced with opportunity.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
Monday, May 28, 2007
An Abundant Life Illustration
It Happened Last Spring.
The abundant life is a relationship. I am going to illustrate with a personal story how this relationship can work. The illustration will appear trivial, but there is nothing trivial in a relationship. When a guy opens the car door for his sweetheart it is not trivial. When she cooks his favorite meal or they hold hands while walking through the park, these are not trivial acts. They are relationship in action.
One night in the early Spring, I went with my spouse to watch my grandson play baseball. The temperature was in the low fifties, and there was a strong breeze; certainly not baseball weather. When the game ended, Andrew was cold and hungry, and my wife and I took Andrew and his sister Anna to a restaurant for some hot food. It just so happened that this was a Saturday night and the restaurant was full as was the parking lot. This, however, was the place we all wanted to go, and we decided to proceed and trust that God would make the way smooth (Luke 3:5). As we drove our automobile into the crowded lot we noticed that a car was backing out of a parking place , which just so happened to be right in front of the door to the restaurant. We took that place, which was very fortunate for us, because none of us had jackets. After all, we had been to a baseball game.
When we walked into the restaurant there were several people sitting around the front, so we gave the hostess our name and asked how long the wait. The hostess replied with a smile, “I have a booth that has just opened. If you will give us a minute to clean it, you can have it.” As the old gospel song states, Spiritual Power will “make the crooked straight and bring the high places down.” It certainly happened for us that cold Saturday night in the early Spring.
I know that the above example in no way compares with the problems people face when raising a family or running a business. Besides, most readers will believe that the convenient parking place was no more than a coincidence. And it well may have been. Some would say that we just experienced a bit of good luck? You bet we did! But believers who are living the abundant life experience a lot of good luck. In fact, this is God’s style. As someone has said, “Great art conceals the artist,” and God is an artist at doing good things for believers and making their life more abundant. Every time you utilize Spiritual Power, most of the good things that happen to you will seem like “good luck.”
Spiritual Power is never obvious, but it is always possible and always appropriate. Even though a parking place in the close proximity of a restaurant on a cold Saturday night is totally unimportant on the grand scheme of world affairs, it was very important to me and my family, and God could have been involved. Just as God could be involved in preventing a believer from catching a cold when a friend sneezes a bad time or when a believer drives his/her automobile onto the freeway and narrowly misses a drunk driver coming down the wrong side of the ramp.
God wants to be involved in the life of believers. As we shall discuss in a later blog, “Gods Program of Abundance” functions best when God is continuously allowed to play a part. The abundant life that God wants believers to enjoy is actually little more than the extension of God’s love in a very practical and helpful way. You can expect to experience good luck in little things and also in big things. God wants to keep you free from all of the negative distractions that can make your life appear perplexed and unproductive.
When God does something for you, be it great or small, life changing or totally insignificant, you will probably never know for sure that God was involved. It is not like God to draw attention to God’s self. For example, just look at this marvelous world that God made. It has all we could ever need; light, gravity, resources and beauty in every direction, and yet some very intelligent scientists sincerely doubt that God even exists. God made the world and did it so well that many people actually believe that it just happened on its own or from some “big bang.” As mentioned above, “Great art conceals the artist,” and God can do anything God chooses to empower believers, and no one even suspect that God was the least bit interested.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
The abundant life is a relationship. I am going to illustrate with a personal story how this relationship can work. The illustration will appear trivial, but there is nothing trivial in a relationship. When a guy opens the car door for his sweetheart it is not trivial. When she cooks his favorite meal or they hold hands while walking through the park, these are not trivial acts. They are relationship in action.
One night in the early Spring, I went with my spouse to watch my grandson play baseball. The temperature was in the low fifties, and there was a strong breeze; certainly not baseball weather. When the game ended, Andrew was cold and hungry, and my wife and I took Andrew and his sister Anna to a restaurant for some hot food. It just so happened that this was a Saturday night and the restaurant was full as was the parking lot. This, however, was the place we all wanted to go, and we decided to proceed and trust that God would make the way smooth (Luke 3:5). As we drove our automobile into the crowded lot we noticed that a car was backing out of a parking place , which just so happened to be right in front of the door to the restaurant. We took that place, which was very fortunate for us, because none of us had jackets. After all, we had been to a baseball game.
When we walked into the restaurant there were several people sitting around the front, so we gave the hostess our name and asked how long the wait. The hostess replied with a smile, “I have a booth that has just opened. If you will give us a minute to clean it, you can have it.” As the old gospel song states, Spiritual Power will “make the crooked straight and bring the high places down.” It certainly happened for us that cold Saturday night in the early Spring.
I know that the above example in no way compares with the problems people face when raising a family or running a business. Besides, most readers will believe that the convenient parking place was no more than a coincidence. And it well may have been. Some would say that we just experienced a bit of good luck? You bet we did! But believers who are living the abundant life experience a lot of good luck. In fact, this is God’s style. As someone has said, “Great art conceals the artist,” and God is an artist at doing good things for believers and making their life more abundant. Every time you utilize Spiritual Power, most of the good things that happen to you will seem like “good luck.”
Spiritual Power is never obvious, but it is always possible and always appropriate. Even though a parking place in the close proximity of a restaurant on a cold Saturday night is totally unimportant on the grand scheme of world affairs, it was very important to me and my family, and God could have been involved. Just as God could be involved in preventing a believer from catching a cold when a friend sneezes a bad time or when a believer drives his/her automobile onto the freeway and narrowly misses a drunk driver coming down the wrong side of the ramp.
God wants to be involved in the life of believers. As we shall discuss in a later blog, “Gods Program of Abundance” functions best when God is continuously allowed to play a part. The abundant life that God wants believers to enjoy is actually little more than the extension of God’s love in a very practical and helpful way. You can expect to experience good luck in little things and also in big things. God wants to keep you free from all of the negative distractions that can make your life appear perplexed and unproductive.
When God does something for you, be it great or small, life changing or totally insignificant, you will probably never know for sure that God was involved. It is not like God to draw attention to God’s self. For example, just look at this marvelous world that God made. It has all we could ever need; light, gravity, resources and beauty in every direction, and yet some very intelligent scientists sincerely doubt that God even exists. God made the world and did it so well that many people actually believe that it just happened on its own or from some “big bang.” As mentioned above, “Great art conceals the artist,” and God can do anything God chooses to empower believers, and no one even suspect that God was the least bit interested.
Keep the Faith,
Earl
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Spiritual Power - The Last Great Frontier
Living the Abundant Life
I have great news for you. Your life can be less encumbered, more productive and a lot more fun. You can experience success at a level you never dreamed possible. In fact, you can become an entirely new person; stronger, more confident, better balanced, more energetic and far more resilient. At long last, your life can be the source of power and inspiration you always knew it should be. You can have every thing you ever wanted and a lot more through Spiritual Power, The Last Great Frontier.
If you are like most of the people I know, life is sometimes a bit of a struggle. There are good times of course and good people, and family, and you probably would not change things even if you could, but every day or so you face circumstances in which you labor to maintain control. Perhaps the kids seem less than happy, and their frustrations/demands/needs, etc. can be very stressful. It could be that there are more bills to pay than there is ready cash, or it may be that the workplace is just no fun any more. Whatever the nature of your struggle, you can join the proverbial club, because there are hundreds and thousands of others who walk a very similar path. You feel like you should be thankful, and you are, because there are good things happening and you are certainly much better off than some, but all to often, life is a drag. It just isn’t going the way you thought it would.
Well, you can stand up and shout for joy, because there is a better way. Life doesn’t have to be nearly so frustrating. Your day can run smoothly again, and at the same time be very productive. In fact, you can make of your life a beautiful and progressively successful experience, not only for yourself but for all the others who share your world; your spouse, children, friends and associates. Each day can be pleasant, filled with fun and excitement. I know this seems far out, and you are probably thinking that this sounds like a vitamin commercial. You may even be wondering just what it is that I am trying to sell, but the answer is not in food supplements or drugs or any other consumer products. The answer is what Jesus termed “the abundant life.” I call it Spiritual Power.
The abundant life to which Jesus made reference is a lot more than mere luxury. Abundance includes good friends and positive relationships, safety and good health as well as financial independence. The “abundant life” means freedom; the freedom to come and go and do this or that or whatever you please to do; freedom from negative surprises such as a debilitating accident or a life changing disease.
The “abundant life” puts you in control of the daily circumstances that affect your life. You can stop worrying. Your family will be O.K. Each of your loved ones will come home safely from work or school or wherever they happen to be and in a timely manner. The relationship with your spouse, even the emotional moments will be warm and positive. You can drive your car without fear of the ineptitude of other drivers. And the list goes on and extends by faith into every circumstance of your life, even the weather. This “abundant life” is wonderful. It is not necessarily about luxury or big money, although money can certainly be a part of your success. As Jesus said,” The laborer is worthy of his heir” (Luke 10:7), but it is about something far more important: the power to rise above the fray and live free from intimidation in all forms; the power to stay in control.
Tomorrow I will illustrate the abundant experience.
Keep the Faith,
EGD
I have great news for you. Your life can be less encumbered, more productive and a lot more fun. You can experience success at a level you never dreamed possible. In fact, you can become an entirely new person; stronger, more confident, better balanced, more energetic and far more resilient. At long last, your life can be the source of power and inspiration you always knew it should be. You can have every thing you ever wanted and a lot more through Spiritual Power, The Last Great Frontier.
If you are like most of the people I know, life is sometimes a bit of a struggle. There are good times of course and good people, and family, and you probably would not change things even if you could, but every day or so you face circumstances in which you labor to maintain control. Perhaps the kids seem less than happy, and their frustrations/demands/needs, etc. can be very stressful. It could be that there are more bills to pay than there is ready cash, or it may be that the workplace is just no fun any more. Whatever the nature of your struggle, you can join the proverbial club, because there are hundreds and thousands of others who walk a very similar path. You feel like you should be thankful, and you are, because there are good things happening and you are certainly much better off than some, but all to often, life is a drag. It just isn’t going the way you thought it would.
Well, you can stand up and shout for joy, because there is a better way. Life doesn’t have to be nearly so frustrating. Your day can run smoothly again, and at the same time be very productive. In fact, you can make of your life a beautiful and progressively successful experience, not only for yourself but for all the others who share your world; your spouse, children, friends and associates. Each day can be pleasant, filled with fun and excitement. I know this seems far out, and you are probably thinking that this sounds like a vitamin commercial. You may even be wondering just what it is that I am trying to sell, but the answer is not in food supplements or drugs or any other consumer products. The answer is what Jesus termed “the abundant life.” I call it Spiritual Power.
The abundant life to which Jesus made reference is a lot more than mere luxury. Abundance includes good friends and positive relationships, safety and good health as well as financial independence. The “abundant life” means freedom; the freedom to come and go and do this or that or whatever you please to do; freedom from negative surprises such as a debilitating accident or a life changing disease.
The “abundant life” puts you in control of the daily circumstances that affect your life. You can stop worrying. Your family will be O.K. Each of your loved ones will come home safely from work or school or wherever they happen to be and in a timely manner. The relationship with your spouse, even the emotional moments will be warm and positive. You can drive your car without fear of the ineptitude of other drivers. And the list goes on and extends by faith into every circumstance of your life, even the weather. This “abundant life” is wonderful. It is not necessarily about luxury or big money, although money can certainly be a part of your success. As Jesus said,” The laborer is worthy of his heir” (Luke 10:7), but it is about something far more important: the power to rise above the fray and live free from intimidation in all forms; the power to stay in control.
Tomorrow I will illustrate the abundant experience.
Keep the Faith,
EGD
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Abundant Life
This Blog is about The Abundant Life, which is what Jesus was about. The Gospel writer Mark said that Jesus “came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God,” which is just another way to say “The Abundant Life.” The Kingdom of God and the Abundant Life are merely two sides to the same coin. How could it possibly be otherwise? Jesus prayed, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” One who is walking in the center of God’s Will must surely have opportunity to experience the abundant life.
Actually, the phrase “the abundant life” is not used in the New Testament. Jesus said in the parable of the sheep, “I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), but that is not quite the same.
As some people have obviously misinterpreted what Jesus meant by abundance, and as The Holy Spirit has helped me to determine the definitive answer, I must share what abundance is and how it can make a difference in your life and in the world, which was the Gospel of Jesus. I trust that if you are interested, you will read these blogs. Please respond if you so choose. Should you disagree with some concept advanced in this material, please feel free to share your view. By it we will all grow toward the truth.
You may wonder what background experiences I have that give me the confidence to write on such a profound subject. Of course, there are many, but none are relevant. The truth that I share stands on its own as does all truth. Neither education nor experience can create truth. Some events may bring it to light, but truth needs no documentation. Truth is truth and does not depend on what I learned in school or what happened to me yesterday afternoon. I have often said that “truth is truth no matter who said it, even if they were drunk at the time.
Truth has its own parameters. I share with you what I know to be true. If you know something different and you take the time to respond and share you insight, then my knowledge might expand or perhaps yours will, because as Ayn Rand said in Atlas Shrugged, There are no inconsistences. If we disagree one of us and perhaps both are wrong and should change our thinking, because it is only truth that will set us free and the pursuit of truth is the most important of all endeavors.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, I will write on the abundant life that is possible by faith for those who have been “chosen.”
Thanks for thinking with me,
Earl G. Donaldson
Actually, the phrase “the abundant life” is not used in the New Testament. Jesus said in the parable of the sheep, “I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), but that is not quite the same.
As some people have obviously misinterpreted what Jesus meant by abundance, and as The Holy Spirit has helped me to determine the definitive answer, I must share what abundance is and how it can make a difference in your life and in the world, which was the Gospel of Jesus. I trust that if you are interested, you will read these blogs. Please respond if you so choose. Should you disagree with some concept advanced in this material, please feel free to share your view. By it we will all grow toward the truth.
You may wonder what background experiences I have that give me the confidence to write on such a profound subject. Of course, there are many, but none are relevant. The truth that I share stands on its own as does all truth. Neither education nor experience can create truth. Some events may bring it to light, but truth needs no documentation. Truth is truth and does not depend on what I learned in school or what happened to me yesterday afternoon. I have often said that “truth is truth no matter who said it, even if they were drunk at the time.
Truth has its own parameters. I share with you what I know to be true. If you know something different and you take the time to respond and share you insight, then my knowledge might expand or perhaps yours will, because as Ayn Rand said in Atlas Shrugged, There are no inconsistences. If we disagree one of us and perhaps both are wrong and should change our thinking, because it is only truth that will set us free and the pursuit of truth is the most important of all endeavors.
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, I will write on the abundant life that is possible by faith for those who have been “chosen.”
Thanks for thinking with me,
Earl G. Donaldson
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