Month: October 2021

Determined

Posted on by Rob Collins in Blog

Determined

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8

Daniel had a distinguishing difference because he determined in his heart to do the right thing. Your determination to do the right thing will be your distinguishing difference. It will direct your present situation and it will determine your future outcome. Daniel didn’t do what everyone else was doing- he did what was right! If there was ever a time that we needed people to stand up and be a difference maker- it is now! If there was ever a time when we need people to not follow the patterns of what everyone else is doing- it is now! If there is ever a time when we needed people who will do what it right- it is now!

In the book of James it tells us: “To him that knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.” Daniel knew what was right and he did it! He prayed and he believed God and he trusted God even when things were difficult and uncertain. And, what a difference it made for him and for everyone else concerned. He didn’t concede, he didn’t compromise, he didn’t use justification or reasoning and he didn’t compare, although there was a noticeable difference and there were many comparisons that were being drawn between him and the others who didn’t do what was right in regard to honoring God.

There should a distinguishing difference in those who serve the Lord and do the right thing while trusting God for the outcome.

  • Daniel looked better than those who were eating delicacies.
  • Daniel came out of the lions den alive- not dead.
  • Daniel honored God and was given a position of honor.

Daniel Decided: *(everything begins with a decision)

1. Daniel decided to  serve God although it wasn’t easy.

2. Daniel to pray although it took effort.

3. Daniel decided to “Not” do what everyone else was doing.

4. Daniel decided to trust God in difficult times when it didn’t make sense. 

5. Daniel decided to do the right thing although it wasn’t popular.

*Daniel was thrown into the lions den by the hands of men, but he was delivered out of the lions den by the hand of God! The end result was good and the end result was God! And, the end result was- God delivered Daniel out of the lions den and the king said, “We will now serve the God of Daniel.”

There is no substitute for doing the right thing!

May our lives be different- so that we will make a difference.

3 Things to Consider When Developing Your Potential by Doing the Right Thing:

1. Consider the outcome for your course of action?

2. Ask yourself: Could the decision I’m making jeopardize my character or hinder my witness for the Lord?

3. Ask yourself: Is there a better option and would that option have a better outcome for me and a greater impact for the Kingdom of God?

Rebellious hearts receive satisfaction from their ways; the good receive the due reward for their deeds. The naive believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The wise are careful and avoid evil, but fools become excited and overconfident. Short tempered people make stupid mistakes, and schemers are hated. Stupidity is the lot of the naive, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. –Proverbs 14:14-18

Persuaded

Posted on by Rob Collins in blog

Persuaded

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-Romans 8:37-39

We need the hope and understanding now more than ever that God is for us and that He is with us and that He loves us. He is our hope, He is our our strength and He is our salvation in all things. In this eighth chapter of Romans Paul encourages us with many truths and in many cases he reminds us of what we already know to be true. (v.1-17)>He starts off by reminding us that there is now no more condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus and for those that are led by the Spirit of God, he confirms the fact that we are in fact sons of God. (v.18–30)>Paul goes on to remind us that what although what we may be experiencing in regard to suffering or sorrow isn’t easy, it still doesn’t compare to what we will one day experience, thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. He also assures us that the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and that the Spirit searches our heart and know its depth. (v.31-36)>Paul then introduces a foundational piece of our faith by telling us that all things work together for our good. He then reveals the universal truth that if God is for us- who or what can be against us! Paul then concludes the chapter with the verses above: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

Paul tells us that we are more than conquerors through Christ and that he is persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God! The word persuade means: to convince by argument; an inward confidence that produces a change of mind by way of argument or analogy; to win over, persuade or prevail. Paul uses extreme conclusions to support the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Take note of the extremes: (1) Neither life nor death- neither one! (2) Neither angels nor principalities nor powers- neither one! (3) Neither things present nor things to come- neither one! (4) Neither height nor depth- neither one! (5) Nor any created thing shall separate us from the love of God! Paul is persuaded and he wants you and I to be persuaded too. He wants us to know beyond a shadow of doubt that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God! Nothing that is dead and nothing that is alive! Not an angel or a demon- nor a spiritual power to be or that is! Not anything that currently exists in the present moment, or anything that will ever exist in the future! Nothing that is high above us or anything that is deep below us! And, in case you have a doubt he reiterates by saying, “Nor any created thing!” Paul wants us to know that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God!      

3 Things to Remember About Being Persuaded: 

  1. When you are persuaded no one has to convince you.
  2. When you are persuaded you will desire to persuade others.
  3. When you are persuaded it will bring you joy, peace and hope.

Paul was persuaded by the personal evidence of his own experience and we can be persuaded by the evidence and proof of God’s love through Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Who Me?

Posted on by Rob Collins in blog

Who, Me?

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

Have you ever felt like that, “Who, Me?” In Exodus chapter 3, God and Moses are having a dialogue and Moses is trying to convince God of why he couldn’t do what it was that God was asking him to do- the very thing that God was sure that he could do. In the process of dialogue with God, I don’t think that we give it much consideration, but I believe that we often try to persuade the “I Am”…  with, “Who, Me?” When in reality what God wants us to do and expects us to accomplish, has more to with Him, than it actually does with us! Nonetheless, I believe that we still play a vital part and a crucial role in God’s purposes being accomplished in the earth. And, I believe that how we view ourselves will in most cases determine the outcome of what is to follow and ultimately decides what will be accomplished. God puts His confidence in us and we must put our confidence in Him, but very little happens if we spend our time debating God’s decision to use us. Very little gets done while we debate God’s decisions. God has more faith and confidence in us, than we do in ourselves. And, that’s not always a bad thing, unless it hinders and delays the process of what God is trying to do in us and through us. We must remember that He made us and He created us for His creative purposes! And here’s the unbelievable truth: He knows us, He loves us, yet He chooses to empower us and He chooses to use us to accomplish His purpose.

Like Moses All of Us Are:

 

1. Doubtful- (feeling uncertain about something).

  • Most of us don’t doubt God, but we doubt ourselves and when we doubt ourselves, we are doubting what He created and the purpose He created us for.

Most of would say, I am not ___________ enough.

  • Our confession and God’s confession are usually not the same. Nonetheless, God doesn’t need for you to approve or disapprove of His decision every time He chooses to use you or anyone else for that matter. What God has spoken, He will bring to pass, but He chooses to use people to fulfill His plan. Your part is simple! You just have to come into agreement with what He is desiring to do, by being obedient, and by believing it and doing it.

Andy Stanley says, “We should be more worried about making a difference then we are about making a point.” *(what point are you trying to prove, especially to God?)

  • God is saying, “I Am” and Moses is saying, “but who am I?” Creation debating with the creator. The clay questioning the potter. And yet, you and I tend to do the same thing today. What would happen if we would be obedient and agree without debate, dialogue or disbelief. What if we just took God at His word and acted upon it.

 

2. Dysfunctional- (troubled, distressed or unsettled).

  • When God wants to use you, bless you or promote you, He will send a person, an impression or a word. When the enemy wants to deter you, distract you or discourage you, He will use a person, an impression or a spoken word. It’s our job to discern the encounter as being either a promotion or a distraction.
  • When God speaks the truth that He wants us to receive it, however, there is always an inner voice that will come against that truth. *(doubt, fear and unworthiness)
  • Moses doesn’t actually doubt God, He doubts himself. But, in doing so he is actually doubting the very thing God wants to use, himself- that’s right, Moses!
  • The voice of the inner enemy speaks in 1st person. The devil internalizes the argument so that we are saying whatever it is that we are saying, to ourselves. Things like:  (“I’m so ________.” “I will never _________.”) >(fill in the blank)
  • It’s not just the things in our past that comes up when we doubt ourselves. It’s also those things in the present that we have never gotten right or that we haven’t had the courage to deal with yet, these things also comes up in these times when we our doubting ourselves the most.
  • You need to hear God’s voice above all other voices. He knows you, He created you and He loves you! If you needed whatever “it” is to accomplish what it is you need to accomplish, then you would already have it! If you don’t have it, then you don’t need it to accomplish what it is that God is desiring for you to do. In reality- all that you truly need is Him! Believe Him! And trust Him! And see what happens. Insecurity is actually the ultimate insult to God, because He created you. When we debate our shortcomings with God, we are insulting His judgment. *(quit trying to convince God of what He already knows and believes).

 

3. Deficient- (lacking something that is needed).

  • We are all lacking something in some area.
  • We are never strong enough, decisive enough, patient enough, loving enough, good enough, strong enough or more than enough.
  • God is saying whatever you don’t have I will give you. He is saying that I will give you the words, the faith, the perseverance, the strength and the courage.
  • God wants you to believe in yourself and lean on Him all at the same time!

He said to Moses, “I made you.” *(when you doubt the product you insult the manufacturer)

God is saying, “I am.” (Moses is Saying I know you are, but “who am I?)

Moses says, “If I did do this, who do I tell them sent me? And God says, “I Am.” Moses says, “Who?” God says, “That’s my name, I Am!”

I Am- the God Who Was… I Am- the God Who Is… And I Am- the God Who Will Always Be!!!

(the God of your grandparents, the God of 2021 and the God of whatever the future may hold)It’s not who you are, but it’s who He is in you… He is I AM!

– I’m not very good and God says I know, but I am…

– We say I’m not______. But God says, I know, but I AM!

  • Moses said, “I’m not clever with words” but God said, “I know, but I Am!”
  • We say, “I’m not patient enough” but God says, “I know, but I Am!”
  • We say, “I’m not sufficient enough” but God says, “I know, but I Am!”
  • We say, “I’m not faithful enough” but God says, “I know, but I Am!”

We need to say, “I know that I am _____!” Not in a arrogant or egotistical way, but in the confidence of I know I am, because I know the I Am! And, I am! Because the I Am lives in me! *(I move and breath and have my being in Him, the great I Am!)

He made you. He knows you. He loves you! He is the great I Am and you can know that you are_________, because you know Him and He lives in you!

Being confident of this very thing, that He who begun a good work will complete it!

He is, I Am! And because He is – I am – I can! And I Will! And I am _______ enough!