Guest writer today – Excellent teaching by David LeBlanc.
How would Jesus miracles in feeding the multitudes be related to the Messianic Age?
Source: A Bounty of Hope
Category Archives: Growth
Resistance!
How God can use work to disclose himself. I began my day as usual reading emails and organizing them according to priority. The next several emails were quick answers and then I came upon this one from ProjectManager.com. As I was reading this, I could hear the stillness of the voice of God. Reminding me how this is so much like the growth of a Christian or the fears of those who do not believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. I have inserted in blue the reasons why the words of this work email stirred my heart.
I began my day, as usual, reading emails and organizing them according to priority. The next several emails were quick answers; and then I came upon this one from ProjectManager.com. As I was reading this, I could hear the stillness of the voice of God, reminding me how this is so much like the growth of a Christian or the fears of those who do not believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. I have inserted in blue the reasons why the words of this work email stirred my heart.
Hi. I’m Susanne Madsen. Welcome to this whiteboard session How to Overcome Resistance to Change.
Resistance to change is a term that we tend to label people with when they are not willing to adapt to a new change or accept it. But oftentimes it’s not the change itself the people resist. They resist because they’re fearful they might lose something *** or that they would be no good at coping with the new state.
***Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Let’s look at how we can help people to overcome those fears. The first step is to listen to people’s fears ***and concerns. Because this is an emotional thing, we’ve got to engage at that level. Listen to what people believe is going to happen. What are they afraid of? Empathize and try to see it from their point of view.
*** Exodus 20:20
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”
We also have to provide clarity and certainty. If you can give any guarantees at all that will make people calm down, do so. *** Also provide clarity about what will happen and what won’t happen. Some people are afraid because they create doom day scenarios and their minds run loose, but that’s because they don’t actually know what’s going to happen. You can help them provide that clarity by giving them more information about the change.
*** John 3:36
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Psalms 9:17
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Next, demonstrate what’s in it for each person. ***For sure, I’m going to be more pro a change if I understand that there are benefits for me. Put yourself in the other person’s situation and look at all of the ways in which this person would benefit, and convey that to them. There’s always two sides to the story.
***Matthew 19:16
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
Mark 3:29
“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:”
You also have to make the status quo less appealing. *** If you want people to shift from a current state, the status quo, to a future state, you’ve got to make the status quo less appealing, and demonstrate that there are consequences if we don’t change. Maybe we are going to fall behind competition. In change management terms, we talk about creating a bit of a burning platform. Don’t create too much of a burning platform because that may just make people even more fearful, and that’s what you don’t want.
***Revelation 20:15
“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Making people part of the *** story is another powerful way to make people overcome their fear of change. That means that you can draw people into it. Give them a role to play. You see, if you change something and I’m not part of it, I can criticize you and say well it’s just being done to me, and I can play the victim. But if I’m drawn into the story, if I have a role to play, then it’s much more likely that I’m going to be feeling positive towards this change.
Read the story of Esther
Lastly, slow down, *** because change can be emotional. It takes time to adapt to it and digest this emotional change. By slowing down the rate of change there’s a higher degree that people will be pro the change.
*** I Corinthians 3:
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Thank you for watching. Please visit us again at ProjectManager.com.
Are you resisting to believe or are you resisting to grow in your Christian walk? Whatever the case may be, may you lean not unto your own understanding and search the living word of God.
Our homes are under attack!
1 Peter 4:16-18
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Today’s preaching was on: “Our homes are under attack“.
Here are the highlights and blessings, I received from the Holy Spirit of our living God.
- There was a time 40 or 50 years ago, people couldn’t wait to go to church. Young families would get their children ready to go to church and to receive a blessing.
- Today young families are at the ball field, at the amusement parks or watching TV on Sunday’s and forgetting all about church.
We read clearly in Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
- It’s time to wake up and know Satan is destroying our homes. If he can just break up one more married family, lead one more to heroin, lead one more to alcohol, and lead one more to porn then he has won.
- However, we can beat Satan by picking up the bible and attacking him with the living word of God.
- God will direct you on the path he wants you to take.
- It’s time we let God take over our homes and lives again.
- It’s time we change our attitudes back to ” I can’t wait to go to church again“.
- It’s time to fight back Satan and the ways of the world.
- If we the SAVED don’t do this, then what do you think the world will do.
- I don’t know about you but I am seeing more and more of the world and the world’s way and less and less about the only way: God our Father and him being the only Almighty.
- Does God live in you? Do you know this with all your heart and soul?
1 John 4:12
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
- Are you a new creature in Jesus Christ?
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Have you asked God to take over, to lead you and to trust him 100% to show you the way?
It’s time to stop being under attack? It’s time to fight back!
If you can’t answer this questions or have any doubt, it’s time to reach out and put God back into your house and open your heart to let God show you the way.
May you lean not to your own understanding and search the living word of God for truth and guidance.
John 3:16
Proverbs 3:5
Romans Chapter 1
Are You Following?
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
None of us know how long we have to live on earth but we do know it is but for a little time.
Jesus makes it very clear we are to follow him. John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: If any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
How do we do this? We can’t physically get up and follow Jesus. So what can we do? The answer can be found easily in Acts 17: 11 We read Paul and Silas travel to Berea and went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things are so.
How do we follow Jesus?
- with all readiness
- readiness: Quickness; promptness; promptitude; facility; freedom from hinderance or obstruction; as readiness of speech; readiness of thought; readiness of mind in suggesting an answer; readiness of reply.
- search the scriptures daily
This doesn’t mean when you feel like it, when it might fit into your schedule, or only on holidays. This means 100% all of the time with eagerness, enthusiasm and availability.
Are you following him?
Luke 9:23 and he said to them all, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
1 Peter 2:21 For even here unto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
Did you just read that…. 1 Peter 2:21? Jesus suffered for us, each and everyone of us so we could follow him and have hope.
For we (Romans 8:24, 25) are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see NOT, then do we with patience wait for it.
Are you following him?
1 Peter 1:19-25
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Are you following him?
Day 14 The Study of the Book of Isaiah
The Lord Saves
Today’s study is on the first 5 verses of Isaiah 55, I was pleasantly blessed with so much in just 5 verses.
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
Everyone that thirsteth
- come and hear the truth
- it’s free, you don’t need money
John 4:14
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Do not spend money that is NOT bread
- why spend money foolishly
- As Christians, we know all our earthly possession will mean nothing when we die and go to heaven. As read in 1 John 2:17:
1 John 2:17
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Our possessions should glorify God and further his work, while we are here on earth. God shows his love and mercy to all and will provide for their needs, as long as they trust and believe.
- eat that which is good and let your souls delight itself in fatness
John 6:51
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
John 6:33
“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”
John 6:27
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
Romans 14:2-3
2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
- the price has been paid
Hebrews 12:2
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Colossians 2:14
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
- your soul shall live
John 5:24
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 6:40
“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- I have given him for a witness to the people
1 Thessalonians 4:14
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
2 Corinthians 5:15
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
Romans 14:9
“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”
Let us pause; and know we have a loving gracious God who wants to be our Lord and Savior for all who believe.
Thank you; to those who are taking this journey with me to study the book of Isaiah and how it still applies to our times today.
I would like to end today’s study with a prayer of David.
