Christmas Nativity Orignal Painting by Diane
Merry Christmas from all of us here at YWAM Hollywood!
We pray that as you celebrate the Birth of Jesus, you will be filled with the wonder of His gift to us!
Devotions
Artwork by Kyrill Poole Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Everyone claims that they want to be happy.
Yet many of us seem to spend most of our time complaining. We say, “If my life was different I would be happy.”
We spend our time with telling God all the bad things in our life that we want Him to fix, and we call that prayer. If He would just do what we ask Him to do for us, then we would be happy.
Not true.
Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances.
Last time we looked at the 3 keys to happiness found in the Bible in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 starting in verse 16:
16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
When you rejoice, and give thanks as you pray without ceasing – you focus on the good things in your life, not the bad.
This time, let’s add to that the 3 keys to a happiness that are powered by the supernatural. Read More
Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5:16-24
Everyone claims that they want to be happy.
Yet many of us seem to spend most of our time telling each other of our troubles. We declare that if “such-and-such” would just happen in our life then we would be happy. If things were different, we would be happy.
We spend our time with God telling Him all the bad things in our life that we want Him to fix, and we call that prayer. If He would just do what we ask Him to do for us, then we would be happy.
Not true.
Happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances.
God give us the keys to happiness in the Bible.
Let’s look at the 3 keys to happiness found in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 verses 16-18: Read More
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
When we think of profitability we usually think of finances. But God shows is that profitability is more than making a profit with money. Let me give you an example.
Each morning I do four things. Two are profitable for my life now and for my eternal life. One is sometimes financially profitable, and the last one often leads me to despair about world events, which is not profitable in any way.
Hidden Treasure
Posted by Diane | Bible Study, Devotions, Missions, Worship & the Arts | No Comments
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6: 19 – 21.
I am a Treasure Seeker.
A Destiny Prospector.
There is nothing I like more than discovering a treasure. Whether it is a beautiful shell on the beach, or a unique bargain in a special hand shop, or the enormous privilege of helping a person discover the destiny that God has for them.
God has created you for something special. You are HIS treasure! His hidden treasure. A treasure is a very valuable object – like a buried treasure chest full of gold and diamonds. The word “treasure” can also be used as a verb, like when you treasure something in your heart. Read More
Heart of God – Painting Series
I have spent much of this summer once again looking at the Vision that I have for my life, and asking God what it is that HE wants from me.
What God wants from me, is me. Plain and simple. He wants me to love Him.
We know we are to obey the commandments of God. So, like the man in the Bible, when we ask about what we should do, we should ask God, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
The Greatest Commandment – Mark 12:28-31 (NIV) 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,”answered Jesus, “is this: Read More
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:39-40 NIV
David was not afraid of the battle. He knew that he was fighting for God. His confidence was not in his armor, or in his ability. His confidence was in where it should be, in God.
David told Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”
“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
David didn’t run from the battle. David ran to the battle. David reached into his bag and took out a stone, and he slung it at Goliath. The stone sank into Goliath’s forehead and he fell facedown on the ground. Dead.
David was successful because he relied on the Lord to use the talents he had already developed to defeat the enemy. God used what David had in his hand. David had five stones, and a sling. Read More
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
We need to have vision in our lives to go forward. Our vision will keep us going, even when the going gets tough.
Jesus had a vision of His Bride that helped Him endure the cross. We need a vision of Jesus, our eternal Groom, to help us to endure all that we encounter.
Jesus, be thou my vision today!
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 KJV
Saul’s armor didn’t fit David. Maybe you know how David felt. People may have dreams for you that don’t fit. They may want you to become something different than what you are created to be.
You have a spectacular destiny. But it may look different than what others define as success. They may imply that to be a success you need to be President, or a CEO, or win an Oscar, or pitch in the world series. It’s like trying to dress you up in armor that doesn’t fit.
Your destiny is unique to you. What matters is not that you are doing something that other’s see as grand, but that you are doing what you are passionate about. That you are fulfilling YOUR Vision.
Vision doesn’t mean that you have to own the company, or make millions of dollars. It simply means that you are fulfilling your personal destiny.
Your vision may be to be a stonecutter in a rock quarry, who understands that he is helping to build the grandest cathedral in Europe. You are doing what God created you to do. You have a vision for what it is that God wants you to accomplish and you do it your way.
It takes everyone doing their part for God’s work to get done. You just need to understand what your part is in the big picture vision of what God is doing. Read More
Photo by Buddpaul CC3.0
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 NIV
This week has been the world cup soccer finals in Brazil. It seems that the whole world has been watching, which brings to mind a soccer story from a friend of mine…
My friend was about nine years old. He was on his soccer team at school, and wanted to help his team win. But he had a big problem. Literally. The soccer shorts that were assigned to him were way too big. He didn’t realize it until the first game when he put on his uniform. His shorts were so big that he had to bunch up the waist and hold them up with his hand.
Have you ever seen someone trying to play soccer while holding up their soccer shorts? He said it was hilarious.
The crowd held their breath as they watched, for they knew Read More
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