Tag : Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth

08Feb

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – A Pearl of Great Price

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - A Pearl of Great Price

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

_____________________________________

[Drink a glass of water] Ah … the nectar of life. Just think of it. It is something that is readily available to us. As we drink it, it pours into our being and gives us life. God is even more readily available to us and gives us life. God gives us so much to be grateful for, so much to pour into our being and to remind us of what life is and what it is all about.

When I was a child I used to love stories of buried treasure. Grown men have spent their whole lives looking for treasures, but few find them.

Christ told the parable of a merchant in search of fine pearls, who when he had found one truly great one, sold all that he had and bought the pearl – ever since known as the “pearl of great price.” What Christ refers to in the parable, of course, is the Kingdom of God. And lest we confuse anyone – the Kingdom means everything – God and all that you could possibly desire.

Of course the problem about searching for Great Pearls is that they are only found among many false pearls, and many pearls of far lesser value. More than the “needle in the haystack” – it is finding a pearl among pearls – even if all pearls are not alike.

It is easy at some point to say, “Well, after all, a pearl is a pearl, and even if this pearl is not THAT pearl, it’s still a pearl.” Which, of course, is all true, but beside the point. You wouldn’t sell all that you have in order to buy just ANY pearl. And, in truth, as the parable is structured, no other pearl will do.

Some say that there are no Great Pearls to be found among us, just lots of lesser pearls. And the point is to pick the best and know that when everything is said and done, God will turn your poor pearl into the Great Pearl and everything will be fine in the end.

Why speak of a pearl of great price if there was no pearl to be found? Why speak of selling everything in order to possess it, if it is actually as common as gravel along the side of the road?

The pearl of great price exists and is worth all that a human has.

Jesus tells the story in Matthew 13:44-46:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, buried in the field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.”

In the First Century Mediterranean world, pearls were highly prized and sought after in such far away seas as the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean. The merchant in the story is portrayed as traveling around to such places in search of pearls.

In the parable, the pearl discussed symbolizes the kingdom of God. This symbolism is well placed considering the value pearls held throughout antiquity. In the first century Mediterranean world, pearls often symbolized the highest good. According to Pliny the Elder (first century A.D.) pearls were considered the most valuable of goods, having ‘the first place’ and ‘topmost rank among all things of price’. Therefore, at the time this parable was spoken people would have better appreciated the magnificence of the Kingdom of God due to Jesus’ use of the imagery implicated in comparing the kingdom to a pearl of great value. It would be like referring to something valuable today as pure gold.

To His followers, the merchant served to describe themselves as disciples, and the pearl so earnestly sought represented the kingdom. Therefore, the parable operated to teach the people their relationship to the Kingdom of God. Today, this parable talks directly to you.

Once the pearl, or the kingdom, was found, “the [merchant’s] only proper response was to sell all else in possession for the sake of the greater worth of possessing the kingdom”

Therefore, “the kingdom is like a small, inconspicuous pearl – but one of incalculable value that, once discovered, calls for unrestrained response in the form of absolute discipleship”.

Through this parable, Jesus not only reveals the paramount worth of the kingdom of God, but also the idea that “a true disciple makes an immense commitment to the Kingdom” in face of this worth. All else seems valueless compared with that surpassing worth. No price is too great to pay … . Thus it is with the kingdom of God. The effect of the joyful news is overpowering; it fills the heart with gladness; it makes life’s whole aim the oneness with God.

Let me tell you a true story about a woman who had a dream one night:

In that dream, she found herself in what looked to be a large church building in a long line of people. As she approached the front of the line, she saw people going before an altar or a table of some kind, kneeling and receiving communion. A wafer was placed on the tip of the tongue and a sip of wine was given to each by a man standing behind the table in a long, white robe. As she looked at those people, they had a bit of a blank look on their faces, as if they were going through the motion of getting in touch with God, and then they blankly walked back out into their mundane world and existence.

As she got to the front of the line, she got ready to do what needed to be done to receive her communion. As she began to kneel before the table, the man behind the table said, “No, no, stand up.” She stood up. He looked at her and said, “You know what life is all about, don’t you?” The words just came pouring out of her mouth as she said, “Oh, yes, I know what life is all about. I know that we are born into this world for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to know and to experience God. I know that whatever happens to us in life, whatever we experience, is meant to bring us closer to that knowing and that experience of God.”

He smiled. As she opened her mouth to receive communion, (because now she thought she was ready), he handed her a pearl. He placed that pearl ever so gently in the palm of her hand.

He said, “You are ready. Now go and choose.”

Choose what?

It occurred to her as she contemplated this dream a little further, that life is filled with cycles of getting in touch with God, cycles of knowing all that we can be, and then going back out into our mundane existence and getting overcome with life, cycles of making new choices and then falling back into the very patterns that will not allow us to live up to those choices, cycles of coming to church or retreats or going on vacation, and touching that inner inspiration that tells us what we are, and then going back into the world and hearing of earthquakes and illness and war and poverty, and dealing with family squabbles and taxes and career and financial pressures, and getting weighed back down.

What is my pearl of great price? She asked herself.

We must ask ourselves this too.

I tend to hold with these words of Paul (from the book of II Corinthians):

“Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” [II Corinthians 3:17-18]

Life is a progressive movement from one degree of glory to the next, so with each event (as similar as it may be to others that occur in our lives), we get an even greater glimpse, an even clearer look, into that mirror which images the Spirit of God.

The key is knowing that that is what is going on. How do we know this?

Rather than going blindly with that veil over our faces, through the rituals of life and existence, we can remove the veil and reach for that pearl.

Jesus taught about a pearl in a beautiful and wonderful parable, which we’ve heard over and over again. There is a reason for this – because it is a pearl of great price. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. On finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it. Short, succinct, to the point.

In the realm of the absolute, the pearl of great price is our oneness with God, our complete and whole communion (common-union with God, as the Creators children), who we are, the truth of who we are – our complete, joyful, oneness with God.

And, to sell all we have in order to buy (take possession of it). First in mind we have to sell off ALL our worries, our doubts, fears and our anxieties. We must release it all so we can take possession of that that is holy and perfect.

It speaks to our spiritual conscious awareness. The pearl of great price reflects the Holy truth of our oneness with God.

Now, we have available to us a multitude of Divine ideas. All we have to do is choose one – just one. We must incorporate this into our life and become it.

One Divine idea to take, as an active theme to your whole life, for example, “Serenity.”

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This, as many of you know, is the Serenity Prayer.

The pearl of great price has to be uncovered and rediscovered DAILY not just once.

A man used this idea and even found peace in 25F. Twenty-five F was the Delta airplane seat he sat in all the way from Boston back to Dallas, after going to a friend’s wedding. In a 757, there are not any rows behind 25F. It is right up there against the bulkhead, next to the rattling engine. This 25F was something special. It came complete with a crooked seat cushion, and a bent tray table. When the person in front of the man, who had the luxury of leaning back, leaned back, the table went right into the man’s stomach, in 25F. And the window was so dirty that you could only see though a third of it.

Well, he was angry. “How dare they do this to me? After all, I’m a Frequent Flyer.” He was ready to call the stewardess and pull out his Frequent Flyer card and ask for first class. But he could see the plane filling up. As the curtain remained open to first class, he saw every seat in front of him filling up.

Then the Serenity Prayer came to the man’s mind.

God, grant me the ability to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. He saw every seat full and he knew he could not change it, so he accepted it. He decided to relax for the rest of the flight. Then, the plane took off.

He said, to put it in the words of an anonymous poet, the plane lifted and it seemed for a great instant that earth and sky parted. As we rose into that cloudless expanse, he gained a new perception of the world. It may have been out of one-third of a window, but he gained a new perception – one idea, the pearl of great price.

What is the pearl? It is action, which calls us to express our oneness with God in THAT moment.

I heard a psychologist once say that we often make wish to make changes in our life we often focus on what is missing in us, of what we lack and how we’re lacking. We’re lacking thinness; we’re lacking companionship; we’re lacking money; we’re lacking things; we’re lacking jobs; we’re lacking this, or that, or the other thing.

We will never obtain something, if our main focus is the lack of it.

However, if we choose one thing, just one pearl, one special spiritual gift to give ourselves, seeking God’s help, then everything else will fall into place.

This is what it means to sell ALL that you have and go for that pearl of great price. You see, the realm of spiritual awareness means to focus your mind, your heart, and all your thoughts, consciously, on the idea of your oneness of God. The realm of expression means to give your life to the fulfillment of the gift you are giving yourself.

One pearl, and all else falls beautifully into place.

Jesus said it another way. It is another saying we know so well. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you.”

There that woman was, in a dream, the pearl in her hand. The man had said, “You are ready. Go now and choose.” As he said that, she realized that the church she was in was more than just a building; it was a realm where many souls come when they have had enough of the world to close themselves in and work to get back in touch with God.

The veil was lifted as she became consciously aware of God’s truth of life that had spoken of itself in that dream. Life is about knowing and experiencing God. We can do this. We can break those endless cycles in which we feel stuck by knowing our oneness with God, by choosing just one single idea that reflects that oneness. No matter what comes up, no matter what happens to us or when, we bring ourselves gently back into focus with that idea.

By choosing our pearl of great price, and as we reach for that pearl and watch it being placed in our hand, it will begin to radiate and glow with a wonderful spiritual light that will light up our world.

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION_____________________________

Let us pray,

As we rest in the presence of God, let us spiritually continue our inner walk with the Lord. We follow Christ. You fill your soul, as you see yourself walking in the presence of the Christ.

It is a beautiful setting – one that calls uniquely to your soul, one of your choosing. As you look out over this setting, a new day is breaking spiritually in your life.

With the eye of the mind, you see the sun as it lifts itself over the horizon. You feel its warmth fill your being. In the glory of this moment, you close your eyes and let the light enfold you.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Something begins to stir and rise within your own soul. A small point of light rising out of the darkness of fear and doubt, his growing ever larger, growing ever-more radiant as its rays reach into every part of your soul.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

This precious light of the Christ is filled with life. This precious light of the Christ is filled with love. This precious light of the Christ is filled with peace. It now fills your soul, your body, and your being.

For a moment of silent gratitude, you meditate on Serenity … Serenity … Serenity

Feel the Serenity of God as you rest. Let go and let God in the silence of prayer …

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Take a deep breath. Know that something has awakened in you. A dawn has broken in you that has never been there before. It calls you forth to know who you are. Jesus said you too are a child of the living God.

Allow the state to be a day of great celebration. It is right and good to celebrate in prayer for your awareness is on the complete possibilities of God.

Rejoice! Feel great joy as you acknowledge an awareness of God. Feel the spirit of life that is always with you, filling you with the promise of new and better things to come. Thank God because we have so much to look forward to, many new joys to experience. Through a new birth in your awareness, like Jesus you know your Divine connection and oneness with God.

The Spirit of Christ is reborn in us, and every cell of our being sings with new life and new awareness.

Know this truth of God is with you, now and always, as God’s light shines through you and as you. In your heart, in that quiet space, say to yourself,

“Thank You, God!”

Rest in the silence of prayer …

And so it is … In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

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01Feb

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Prayer should be An Exciting Adventure

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Prayer should be An Exciting Adventure

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

_____________________________________

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dorothy Bernard said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” Prayer changes you. Like Martin Luther said, “Pray, and let God worry.”

Jesus said in Mark 11:23-24, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

A man tells a story of his grandmother. When Grandma was much younger than she is now, she lived on a small farm hundreds of miles from a big city. Her nearest neighbors were so far away she scarcely ever saw them.

Sometimes she would feel very lonely, especially when her husband was working far from home and she was left alone with the children for weeks on end.

Sometimes food would get scarce, and the children would have to go on short rations until their daddy got back with fresh supplies.

One bad winter he didn’t get back when he said he would, and the food ran out.

Grandma was worried. She hated to see the children suffer. Gladly would she have driven to the nearest village to buy food, but there was no way for her to get there. Her husband had the horse and cart.

She could not telephone for help, because farmhouses didn’t have telephones in those days. So, the last little bit of food was eaten, and Grandma wondered what would happen if her husband did not return soon. Next morning she went to the flour barrel and looked in. It was empty. This meant there would be nothing to eat for breakfast.

At this moment Grandma remembered another barrel that belonged to a woman like her, and how the prophet Elijah promised that if she would put God first, the barrel would never be empty.

She knelt by the barrel and prayed.

“I’ve always tried to put You first, dear God. I have paid my tithe and brought up my children to love You. Now we are in great need, and I claim the same promise.”

As she prayed a voice seemed to say to her, “Bang the barrel!” So, she stood up and banged it, good and hard, with the flour dipper. Then she looked inside. There was flour at the bottom. Quite a lot, in fact; at least enough to make a nice little breakfast for everybody. Next day Grandma banged the barrel again, and once more found flour at the bottom of it, this time enough to make a pan of biscuits. The third day she banged it again, and still more flour came.

The day after that she banged it again.

Believe it or not, she kept on banging that barrel for a whole month, and without fail always found enough flour at the bottom to give them something to eat. She was still banging it when her husband arrived home with fresh supplies of food. He laughed when he heard the story, but she did not.

To her it was something very precious. Ever after she would remember 1 Kings 17:14, “The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”

She had claimed God’s promise, and God had kept it, as God always does.

Would it happen? What do you think? Do you believe what Jesus said about mountain moving faith? Or are you like some people in the world who think that in order to have great things happen in life through prayer, you have to have an “in” with God? That somehow, you have to be just a little bit better than what you are right now?

After all, most of us tend to think that big prayers are the privilege of those who are just a little bit holier than us.

The criterion for answered prayer has to do with your attitude toward your oneness with God.

What we ask (as Jesus spoke of) with faith in our hearts, we will receive. Having faith is not really that difficult. Stop and think about it for a minute. We all have faith IN SOMETHING, even though sometimes we do not call it faith because we misuse it. We may have our greatest faith in the worst possible outcome that we worry about.

Jesus told us we must have faith. Jesus tells us to have faith in God, and that which you desire will be yours. Wherever you focus your attention, that is what you begin to draw to you.

So, if we have that kind of enthusiastic attention-drawing ability toward God instead of focusing on the potential negative events, we are on our way to a truly faith-filled God blessed life.

Mark 11:23, Jesus said, “If you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. “When you pray, do you doubt in your heart? Most of us have doubted.

The Truth of God is we cannot get away from God’s support and love. We are a living part of it. We all have the support and love of God every minute of every day. The spiritual quest is to act like it, to believe it.

Free-will is a spiritual law of life. We are free to accept our good or to reject it. It is up to us to accept it. You see, even God will not break that gift, it is one of our purposes in life to learn to use our free-will in oneness with God’s will.

If you choose to believe in God, God will give. If you choose to believe that God is eager, willing, and wanting to give you your good in life, then you are open and receptive to God’s good.

But if we choose to believe that God will not, then we are creating that circumstance for our life.

Only you can assure your good, and only you can stop it – you will block yourself off from your source of new creative life, inspiration, and help.

Prayer is an inside job. Your faith in God and belief in yourself as a child of God make the connection between your life and God. The connection makes the completeness.

Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours.” I want you to listen to these words, carefully, because Jesus did NOT say, “You have to believe that you will receive it;” He said, “Believe that you HAVE received it.” Do you see the difference?

Most of us believe (at the best) THAT SOMEDAY we will have our prayers answered. Jesus is saying to us: “Stop it! Believe that your prayers have been answered already.” Take that step out on faith. Make your prayer an adventure. Believe that you already have it, and it will be yours.

Let me tell you a true story, There was once a woman who lived a life of sickness. When she was young woman growing up, she had this belief because she had been told by her parents and her doctors that she had an inherited tendency toward consumption, and that consumption would, ultimately, shorten her life. She experienced illness, difficulty breathing, and problems with her health for many years.

It was her prayer that she would be healed. But it was not until she understood this spiritual law and claimed that she was already healed and thanked God for it in gratitude – without having to see it in her body, without having to see the results of it up front, that she KNEW she was healed.

She said it took her body a couple of years to catch up, but when it did, she was not sick again.

A wonderful positive affirmative prayer! I am healed NOW – it will just take my body a little time to catch up.

Healing is not just about what is happening in the body; perhaps more important, it is about what is happening in the mind and the heart in our active positive faith. It is about what we accept as the Truth of God about our own being. Once we accept that wholeness, the body must naturally respond. The body will follow because the body follows what we believe and what we know is the truth of our being.

When you pray, remember to accept with absolute assurance that the highest and best answer to your prayer is already yours. Asking in faith is the act of plugging yourself into God’s Divine Source, immediately and instantly (like plugging a lamp into the electric socket in the wall) provides you with the power and God goodness necessary to fulfill that desire.

But we must make the choice to believe in our prayers, to believe in God, to believe in what Jesus has told us – ask believing and it shall be yours – believe that what you have asked for has already happened, and it will be yours.

It is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. All you have to do is ask and accept the answer ahead of time.

Like the woman in the story, accept the healing, and then allow the body to catch up.

Every prayer we utter should be the beginning of an exciting adventure.

We cannot fathom what wonders God has in store for us, but can accept and give thanks for those wonders.

I would say to you this morning, as you pray may God bless you. May you let go and let God be God in your life. Then hang on, friends, because you are in for the God blessed adventure of a lifetime.

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION__________________________

In the silence of prayer … God is here.

Let us each one, gently, quietly, move into that secret place Jesus spoke of, into the closet of our minds and hearts, into that place where there is nothing and no one, except yourself, and God.

Nothing can disturb the calm peace of your soul here in this secret place. Nothing can distract your attention. Nothing can take your attention away, for here is the place from whence all good of God comes. Here is the place your healing awaits. Here is the place of pure prayer – nothing less – oneness with God, a total and complete spiritual awareness of my oneness with God.

And in this secret, silent place of prayer, the deepest desires of your heart and mind are laid on the altar and given to God, in the total realization that it is not I but God who does the work – God who brings you new realization of your God-given good.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

That which you have been desiring, the gift of God, is wanting to express through you. Acknowledge it and accept it, in faith into the care and keeping of God you place this now. If there is a healing waiting to manifest in your life, acknowledge that healing now and know it is already yours for you are a child of God, a child of the Infinite, an expression of the Creator.

Acknowledge this, give thanks for it, and release any care or concern now and forever more.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

It is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom, dear one. It is God’s good pleasure to give you the gifts of God. Though you may not know how these gifts will manifest in your life, know within your heart of hearts without question that this manifestation IS coming right now. That gift is coming into your life even as we pray, for it is God’s good pleasure.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

We thank God that this is so.

We rejoice and know this in the name and through the power of Jesus Christ … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
25Jan

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Nothing to Fear

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Nothing to Fear

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

_____________________________________

It is good to know as spiritual people that God never tricks us, but instead always treats us to better than expected results. Better than anticipated answers to prayer.

With an awareness of God with us, there is never anything to fear.

Most fears in life are pretend fears.

Fear in life is the darkroom where negatives are developed.

Marie Curie said, rightly, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

An elementary school teacher, in California, was trying to help her children deal with their fears after a big earthquake. She had them draw pictures portraying their impressions or feelings. Most showed scenes of destruction. But one youngster’s picture was puzzling. It showed pointed objects sticking up above blue water. Asked to explain, the little girl said, “Oh, those are the after-sharks.” When you are afraid, the water is filled with “after-sharks.”

One woman said, “I dread going to the dentist. Once, to ease my tension, I listed my middle name as ‘Wimp.'” The receptionist read it, laughed and assured me that many patients felt the same way.

Half an hour later, the receptionist came into the waiting room. Looking directly at me, she said, smiling, “The doctor will now see the wimp.” Three other people got up with me.

Do you remember yourself as a child around this time of year?

Many people in this room are baby boomers.

There are many wonderful childhood memories we all have.

One 65-year-old man said*, “I will never forget my childhood bedtime ritual in the 1950’s.”

“Every night I would climb the stairs and go down the hallway to my bedroom.

Now, usually, I had to do this with my parents, because I just knew something lived under the bed; something lived in the closet. And it was there, waiting to get me. I was an only child, so every night, we’d go through the same thing. We would check all the rooms and make sure this monster did not come and attack me at night. We would check under the bed and in the closet. And after we had gone through this ritual that lasted as long as it possibly could, I asked my parents to leave the light on in the hallway. Eventually, after calling downstairs several more times for some excuse to get my parents up to my room again, I would finally fall asleep.

“Morning would come and it was like a victory, because I had made it through the night. The monster did not get me. I ran down those stairs, stepped on the old brown carpeting with my pajamas that had feet in them. My pajamas would always have some sort of animal on the feet, so when I walked, it looked like two animals were going along in my old cotton pajamas. This is the way it was in Ohio, at that time, with children.

“I would go downstairs and sit in front of this big, blonde-wood Motorola television set. It was about as big as this lectern, and it had a screen about as big as one of your hymnals. It would flicker while I would watch whatever there was to watch on television, during those early days of black and white TV.

“I was proud BECAUSE I MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.”

In our Bible:

“A community leader came to see Zachariah, hoping to find peace of mind, and ease for his burden. The man was troubled by a repetitive dream that he did not understand.

“Zachariah, in my dream, I have traveled a long distance and am finally arriving at a great city. But, at the entrance to the city, I am met by a tall soldier who says that I must answer two questions before I am admitted. Will you help me?”

Zachariah nodded.

“The first question the soldier asks is, ‘What supports the walls of the city?'”

“That is easy,” said Jacob. “Fear supports the walls of the city.”

“But what supports the fear?” asked the man in his second question.

“The walls,” answered Jacob. “The fears we cannot climb become our walls.”

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Many times, we have gotten into situations where we would like to hide, in order TO NOT FACE OUR FEARS. Many times, we have gotten ourselves into a corner and we do not know how to get out. We, seriously, do not know, in human mind, how to get ourselves out of a fearful problem. Many times, we have gotten into situations in our personal lives, our homes, our work, our business, our career, where it appears in our eyes, like a ghost house.

It is good, that we, as humans, can have a time of conquering our base fears.

First, we can have an event in your life that scares you.

What is that? It could be a change. There is an unknown ahead of you and you do not know how to get across the bridge to where you want to go. Or it could be that you are alone? You feel alone. You feel separated from God and from other people, and you do not know how to get back into the flow again, you are in a experience and you’re filled with fear.

GOD IS WITH YOU, HELPING YOU TO GET THROUGH YOUR YOUR NIGHT!

Second, fear goes into Thanksgiving. That is when we realize, again, that God is here and God is with us.

Then, third, we go to a new birth.

Never walk alone, accept the help that is available directly to you from God and Jesus Christ.

If the fear you are dealing with today is allowed to proceed to the realization of God in your own spiritual thanksgiving, you will have new birth. You will have a new life. You will get beyond your fear. You will get beyond where you are today, and you will have a whole new experience of being, that will be better than anything you have ever dealt with.

You may wonder how you are going to get past your fear. Well, let us talk about that.

Go to God in prayer, and ask for the help. Realize you are not doing it alone. Then, while you are in the experience, you will be so thankful because you will realize you are not doing it alone, then, you have a new spiritual birth.

In that new birth, you can go beyond anywhere you thought you could go every time with God’s help.

Some people prefer to stay in the fear experience of their lives. You may know people who stayed in their fears. They opt for that; it is their choice. They opt to stay in a fearful situation inside of themselves and never go beyond that. And some people even stay in the thanksgiving of the past, where they are thankful ONLY for things of the past. They can see that clearly, but they cannot seem to be thankful for today, the present.

It is those people who go beyond, who go from the fear, to God, to the new birth of awareness of God protection who are TOTALLY ALIVE.

For many people, if they see two holes in the ground and one hole is filled with snakes and the other hole is dark, they will jump in the hole that is filled with snakes, because, at least, they know what to expect. It’s true. It is sad. It is human nature. If you are this way in ANY area of your life, realize this is time to ask God for help.

You can go beyond fears with God’s help, to courage, strength, and protection. You can jump in the other hole called unknown and you can know it’s going to be okay because God is with you.

As we move, we are all moving into the unknown future. We will not have fear of the unknown if we know that God is going ahead of us, and preparing the good that will await us there. No longer will we build the bridge before we see the creek. We won’t try to say, “Oh, I’m going to hit this obstacle and I need this kind of bridge,” and all of a sudden, we’ve constructed a bridge in our minds, that is like the Golden Gate Bridge – over a creek. We have no need for a bridge of that type or magnitude. Possibly, we could just wade across the creek.

My scripture today is from Luke 11:14. I want to share it with you because it talks about getting rid of the scary things that are inside of you and me.

“Now Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute.”

Imagine, for a minute, that I am Jesus and you have a demon inside of you. That demon could be a lot of things, MAYBE a bad habit, a sickness, a feeling that you cannot accomplish what you need to do, a feeling that nobody loves you.

“When the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’ Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?'”

The word Satan, in first century Christianity means “inner tester.” Let us say someone has a serious alcohol problem. It is tearing his life apart. What Jesus is saying is this person can’t go into a bar, get a drink with a friend of his, who has a problem just as bad as his, and talk together and get rid of their habit? No. Satan cannot cast out Satan. It can’t happen.

Jesus said, “Now, if I cast out the demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe. But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

What Jesus is saying here is that we need to go from our personal Halloweens to an experience of God and have true new birth in awareness.

If I have a fear inside of me, I can’t get rid of that fear with another fear.

I have to get rid of it WITH God.

I can say, “By the authority of God with me, RIGHT NOW, through the power of the spoken word, I’m NOT going to have this fear in my life, anymore. I refuse it. I evict you from my thinking by the authority of God.”

I then solve my problem from a higher level of mind than I created it. I wipe out the fear that is inside of me by a higher level of spiritual faith than that which was in me when I created the fear. It works every time. I go from my inner, imagined fears to safety of the real God in thanksgiving. I realize something has happened and I have new birth of conscious awareness.

All of us have been, or are right now, or will someday be, in something that we consider “a hellish experience.”

But it is how we deal with an experience more than the experience itself that is important.

Acknowledge in that moment, while you’re there, or as soon as possible, you can gather in all your thoughts and acknowledge God. Otherwise, you are scattered to the winds and are defenseless.

We accept the leading of God to the NEW life in God.

We Overcome.

Daily worship in the spiritual cathedral inside of you.

There comes a time when I have to empty out myself and all that baggage I have packed for so many years, and accept a new infilling of God-strength.

I enter into a new consciousness. I jump into new belief with great vigor.

It is natural for you to be healthy. It is natural for you to have well-being. It is natural for you to have a foundation of spirituality when you are going through the scary things of life. It is natural for you to have joy and a smile on your face. This he is your own personal gift of God given to you as your birthright. Anything else is unnatural.

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION____________________________

I invite you to join me in a special prayer time, that all of the world’s populations will have the privilege of joining in – a prayer that knows God IS WITH US right now.

Join me in a prayer that realizes that God is not far off, but right here, present, with us, and inside of us.

Prepare with a moment of silence in prayer …

Dear God, You are with me, surrounding me this moment. I come to You, and lay before You, on the altar of my being, the fears that are present in my mind; my beliefs that are in error about myself – about who I am, and about what I can become.

I come today to realize, with Your mind, working through mine, that I am more than just flesh and bones. God, today I consent to a spiritual infilling of Your Whole Spirit.

I consent to a feeling of well-being.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Dear God, I know I have the potential to become more than my present human fears.

But in order to do so, I have to empty myself. Therefore, in this moment, I am here to empty myself. I am emptying myself now of all fear and all anger inside of me. I ask that any anger that may have been held for years, stored in compartments of my mind, that I am not even aware of, can be emptied now – spiritually cleaned out, refreshed, renewed, revitalized, and regenerated by You, dear, wonderful God.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

The presence of God is with me NOW. The presence of God is causing a quickening in my mind and body. The presence of God is working gently, evenly, continuously, effortlessly throughout my being and my life.

Dear God, I give you – me, my life, all the little details I am involved in. I have been in a maze, but now I see.

Now, in the silence of prayer, I straighten out that maze and make my crooked ways straight.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

There is a peace inside of me. It’s only the beginning, but it is growing; it is inside of me.

There is a well-being that is created by God, the Creator, inside of me. There is a harmony that is in perfect balance inside of me and through me, touching my life. It is happening now. Every thought inside of my mind is under the dominion of God’s perfect Divine mind.

I say, thank You God.

In the name and through the power of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
18Jan

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – God is Your Help in Every Need

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - God is Your Help in Every Need

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

_____________________________________

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:22, 24

There was an American who was visiting in England in a small British town. While there, he lost a valuable dog. He went to the local newspaper to put in an advertisement about the lost dog, and offered 100 pounds for its return. The newspaper came out that afternoon. Later in the afternoon, he went out to his mailbox to look for the paper, but it was not there. He went down to the corner to look for the newspaper, but he found, to his dismay, that there was no paper. He went to the newspaper office and he saw a small sign that read: There will be no afternoon edition today. We are all out looking for a lost dog.

We should grasp the opportunity when it comes and go for it. We should know that, as we go for the opportunity, we are not going alone; God is going with us.

Here is a story from a newspaper about God’s wonderworking power.

One day in the city of London in November 1971. A young man, a talented architect, became depressed and decided to take his own life.

He was going to jump in front of the next train that rolled into the station. In a few minutes, the young man heard the faint rumble of an approaching train. He inched up to the edge of the platform where he watched the subway headlights reflecting off the tracks. As it got closer, he took one last, deep breath to calm himself. As it rounded the curve, he jumped.

The engineer saw the young man jump, and he instinctively reached for the brake. Even as he did so, he knew it would be too late, for there was no way he could stop that train in time to save the young man. The front car had already begun to roll over the man lying there on the tracks. Just when it seemed as though they were going to crush him completely, the train screeched to a stop. The engineer stood there, amazed. He knew that his brake had not stopped that train. But what did? Firemen and ambulance attendants scrambled to the scene. They could not believe how close the man had come to getting killed. He was squeezed so tightly under the first car that they had to get special equipment to jack up the train and free him. But the man was alive, and he was unhurt.

In the meantime, subway officials had arrested a man who was on the same train. They charged him with pulling the emergency brake (which locks all the brakes on the train) for no reason. They had planned to take him to court, when they discovered that it was the emergency brake, and not the engineer’s brake, that had stopped the train and saved the young architect’s life. Once they heard this, they quickly dropped all the charges. Now, here is the strange thing about the incident. The man who pulled the emergency brake was much too far back in the train to see anyone jumping off the subway platform. Yet, he managed to pull the brake at just the right time. If he had waited a second or two longer, it would have been too late. If he could not see anyone, why did he pull the brake? When subway officials asked him, he couldn’t give them a satisfactory explanation. He said that all he knew was that he had an uncontrollable urge to get up, walk over to the side of the railway car, and pull the brake. He did not find out until months later that his uncontrollable urge had saved someone’s life.

God has great power. God has much more power than just working through your mind. God is working through everyone’s mind, even when we are not aware of it.

In New York, in the subway station, a young man had an epileptic seizure and fell onto the tracks of an approaching train. A man standing nearby witnessing what was happening jumped onto the tracks to pin the man down, between the two tracks, and protect him. This true hero did not have time to assess the situation, or even think about his own safety, he just followed his overwhelming urge to be of help to a fellow human. Both men miraculously were all right.

We need to realize that when we have the courage to stand up and take action and go the way we need to go, to follow that uncontrollable urge within us to do what we need to do to follow our dreams, that we’re not doing it alone. God IS with us!

There will be other people along the way to help us. There will be thoughts that come inside of us to help us. We need, from our adult minds, to find again that innocence of a child that knows we can accomplish what we wish to accomplish.

Recently the movie “Sister Act II” replayed on late-night TV.

This movie takes place in a school.

Teachers are some of the great unsung heroes in our society. The movie shows the power of one human and the effect they have on a group, who had forgotten their dreams and had given up at an early age.

Second, it shows kids they can dream and they can accomplish. This is what we do here in this ministry. We urge people–to follow their dreams.

We urge people not to listen to any of the negative talk outside of them (or inside of them), and to go for their dreams believing they can be accomplished with God’s help.

God inspired spiritual maturity is:
– The ability to stick with a dream until it’s finished.
– The ability to do a job without being supervised.
– The ability to carry money without spending it.
– The ability to bear an injustice without wanting to get even.

Spiritual people dare to dream for themselves and others. We do not have one dream in a lifetime – we have many. I was talking with a friend recently, and he was talking about his different dreams and the different opportunities and careers he had taken. This is what life is. When we live our dreams and manifest them in positive ways it influences many others to do the same.

Too many times in life we look only at the disappointments and failures when we need to focus on the success.

All of us have had disappointments. All of us have had closures. The whole point of the matter is to get up again and with God’s ever present help, go after another dream, knowing that when one door closes, God opens others. God has many open doors in our future for us to go through.

Say yes to life through courage and faith. There is a new opportunity of God’s good ahead of you. The past is the past; it is gone. Don’t sigh. Go forward and accept new, wonderful things.

Genesis 32:22. This is the story where Jacob wrestles with the angel.

The same night, he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise, everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”

So he said to him, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Jacob.”

Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.”

Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So, Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God, face to face, and yet my life is preserved.”

Jacob was left alone. There are many times when feel we are left alone, even when we’re in a crowd. Whenever we are facing a crisis in our lives, whenever we stand before the door of opportunity that we’re about to go through, we feel alone because no one can walk through that door but us.

But Jacob had the right idea. Jacob would not let the fear be just a fear, or the past just be the past, or the limitations he had inside of his mind remain as limitations. He wrestled with it. He held on to it and said,

“Listen, I’m not going to let you go until you give me a blessing; until you allow me to understand through my human eyes and my human mind, the blessing this has brought in my life. Help me to see the good so I can go on from here.”

He kept asking the angel’s name, but the angel said, “Why is it that you ask my name?”

This means “Why are you asking my nature? What’s important is your nature.” He changed his name (or his nature) to Israel. At this point Jacob called the place “Peniel” which means “to turn toward God in recognition.” It’s one of the most important things we can do.

The novelist Paul Bourget has said, “One must live the way one thinks, or end up thinking the way one has lived.”

We cannot move ahead with great effectiveness, if we are locked into the past.

To truly believe in God, we have to realize that we are not locked to the limitations of yesterday. We have the ability and the power to go forward. For example, you will become greater than you are now, in a short time. It has nothing to do with your past. It has everything to do with your future and your commitment, right now in courage and faith. God created you with forward movement in Mind. There is a reason that we do not have a rearview mirror on our forehead.

God does not want you to be a puppet on a string. Spiritually you have the power of choice.

You have free will. In that free will there is a part that is pre-destined, and that is the will of God for you and your life – God’s will OF GOOD. If something bad happens to a family member, he or she might throw up his or her hands and say, “This is God’s will.” Here is a way to see if it’s God’s will. If it’s bad, it’s not God’s will.

If it’s wonderful, if it blesses you, if it excites you at the core of your being, if it brings love into your life, if it brings health, if the spiritual thoughts renew you and bring you peace of mind, if it brings your family together again, that is God’s will.

It is God’s will that we accept Divine help and goodness AND help each other on our path.

As spiritual people, eventually we will have an inner goal leading our own thoughts to the glory of God – to bring forth God’s perfect pattern. We will eventually reach this supreme goal. A human’s destiny is to go from God’s glory to glory.

As you reach the high spiritual heights, you will reach out to help others that are struggling. God is with you to help make it so.

One of the hardest things that can happen to a person is having to leave their job, for one reason, or another. Yet, we always see that if they hold on to the fact that there is another glory that’s coming, it works out for absolute good.

A famous museum in the Midwest city has an interesting exhibit. On one side of the exhibit, there is a rolling pin from the year 1850.

It looks like a rolling pin you would have in your kitchen. On the other side of the exhibit, there is a small piece of deformed wood. They say it is the same, exact rolling pin, but that one has been stored and unused, while the other remains in use and is well-preserved. The old saying is true, “use it or lose it.”

There’s an old story of a master who was a great star in the early 1800’s. When this man was on stage, they said there were really two stars on the stage – this great man, Pagannini, and his Stradivarius violin. When he played, it was so magnificent that everyone remembered it for the rest of their lives. When he died in 1840, he requested that his Stradivarius be put on display, never to be played by another human being. They did as he requested. It was put on display in its diamond-studded case, never to be touched by a human being. Today the same violin remains on display, except you can’t see the violin anymore. You see a diamond-studded case and a pile of dust in the middle of the case. Wood, even handled just briefly, will remain strong. But if it is allowed to just sit and not do what it was intended to do, it will go to dust. There are Stradivarius violins from 1810 and 1820 that can be played today and sound just as wonderful as they did when they were first made. Do you know why? They have been used as they were intended to be used.

We have to do the same. We have to use ourselves as we are intended to be spiritually used.

Sometimes the easy life that we all dream of could be the worst thing for the development of our soul. We must be active, otherwise we atrophy.

A frog in a well might have a wonderful life in the well, but he can’t even dream of the ocean which is so vast. A butterfly with all the joys of being in the summer, cannot even talk about the winter ice. They cannot because they have boundaries.

The frog would not last in the ocean and the butterfly would not last in the winter ice.

But WE HAVE NOT yet reached our spiritual boundaries.

We are meant, as human beings, to be used and reused, continually striving anew. We are always regenerated in our mind power, we believe in an ever-fresh God inside of us, giving us fresh motivation and power.

We are no longer the mask of who we think we have been, but we constantly go from glory to glory, teaming up in a partnership with God’s to make our world a better place.

Life is be stimulating with God’s companionship. The worst thing we can do as human beings is to live a mediocre existence accepting the fate of yesterday as the only promise of tomorrow.

In this new day, agree with me that you will do something with God’s help, you will dare to dream through courage and faith, and therefore, continually stretch your mind and your life to do something bigger. With God, you can do it.

May God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION_____________________________

In this moment, we enter into a togetherness of prayer. There is a prayer awareness that can be physically and mentally felt. We pray that, during this prayer time, we feel this collective spiritual consciousness.

People, everywhere, are praying with us in this ministry. Together in prayer, we join together by knowing that God and we are one. We are one with God.

Rest in this knowledge in the silence of prayer …

This is a prayer time of grateful acceptance, and we give thanks for the glorious truth of God.

We are one with the love of God. In the quiet of this moment, we set aside our concerns. We open our minds and hearts to the pure love of God, out of which we are created and in which we live, eternally.

In God’s love, now, we begin to feel the peace of God settling upon us, and dwelling within us.

The love of God fills our hearts with peace, in the silence of prayer …

We are one with the light of God. The light of God shines brightly within us and floods our minds with Divine wisdom. We trust our inner knowing, guided by this inner spiritual light of God which makes our way clear and smooth.

In the light of God, we see new doors of opportunity and understanding opening before us. We release all sense of limitation and proceed through each new door with courage and conviction.

Immersed in the light of God we pray: The light of God directs me to new beginnings. I go forward with confidence.

Pray this, in the silence of prayer, now …

Accept this truth for you now:

You are one with the life of God. The life of God within you renews the spiritual connection, as it moves through every cell, organ, and system to bring you wholeness. In your heart, you envision everyone for whom you pray as strengthened and renewed both in mind and body. In the stillness of prayer, you see all physical and mental tension dissolve and the way to good health open before you.

You rejoice in the transforming energy of God, moving to bring forth strength of body and peace of mind. The life of God renews your mind and body. You are well: rest in the God-given courage and faith.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

You are one with the good of God. Affirming in prayer abundance in all things, you turn your thoughts now to God’s prosperity – to the one true source of your good – God. God has richly supplied all creation with bountiful good.

You know this in your heart. You see, in prayer, the opulence around you, and give thanks for the teeming abundance available to you, in this new time of God-given opportunity your life.

You open your mind to the wellspring of Divine ideas that flows from deep within, and receive them to use for the blessing of all. The Divine ideas of God reveal new avenues of good to you.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Your every need is met in prayer. During this sweet time of prayer and reflection, we have fully felt our oneness with the light, life, love, and goodness of God. Filled with this sense of completeness, we go forth from this sacred moment together with a grateful heart. We are renewed and ready to live more fully in the awareness of our oneness with God.

I decree in this moment of your life, that the light of God surrounds you; the love of God enfolds you; the power of God protects you; the presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are, God is!

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
11Jan

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – ACTION Prayer for Answers

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - ACTION Prayer for Answers

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

_____________________________________

“Work, work, work. That is all I ever do. I work and slave to keep the house clean. I work my fingers to the very bones to put good meals on the table. I work to keep everything straightened up around here, and nobody notices!”

Does this sound familiar?

These words are spoken ALL the time. If in this week, you are feeling downtrodden, over-worked, over-burdened, and unappreciated, I have some heartening news for you. You are not alone.

Luke 10:38-42: “Now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Ever since that time, theologians and Bible scholars have tended to downplay Martha’s work and to elevate Mary’s spiritual focus. Some have even insisted that this is the Biblical support necessary to have women ordained in the clergy. We understand that sitting at the feet of Jesus is understanding our own spiritual awareness by learning from the Master.

But, I want to take up Martha’s case.

Many of Martha’s struggles are mirrored in that comic strip called “Peanuts.” Charlie Brown is talking with Linus and he says, “You know, Linus, it goes all the way back to the beginning. The moment I set foot on the stage of life, they took one look at me and said, ‘Not right for the part.'”

How many of us, like Charlie Brown, stand looking into life’s mirror on a daily basis, and come up with the feeling “Not right for the part”?

For example, the role of being a parent to teenagers, or being a business mover or shaker, or a parent with multiple responsibilities, makes you feel “not right for the part.”

It’s also Charlie Brown who complains to Linus about his publisher, saying that the publisher sent him a rejection slip. Linus says, “That’s all right Charlie Brown. Lots of people get rejection slips.” Charlie Brown replied, “But I hadn’t even submitted a manuscript.”

Many theologians have said Martha represents experience or practice, while Mary stands for protection or conservation of that which already is.

Jesus tells another interesting parable about the businessman who goes away on a trip and leaves his three servants in charge. He gives them some money to care for when he has gone and he says, “When I come back, we’re going to have an accounting.” When he returns, he says to the first servant, “What have you done with the five talents I gave you?” He replied, “I went out and doubled them.” The man said, “Fantastic.”

Let me assure you that a talent was an enormous sum of money in those days.

It was equal to about 75 pounds of pure silver, or 6,000 drachmas, or 3,000 shekels depending on how you wanted to count it out. It was a tremendous sum, by any standard.

He says to the servant who had the two talents, “What did you do with the two talents I gave you?” The servant replied, “I made 100% improvement.”

He said, “That’s fantastic.” He then looked at the third servant and asked, “What did you do with the one talent I gave you?” The servant said, “I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I buried it.”

According to the standards of the day, what do you think the hearers of this parable would hear as far as Jesus’ words were concerned?

How many opt for the servant who had the 100% increase? How many opt for the servant who doubled the talents? And how many opt for the one who wasn’t quite sure what to do, so he buried it?

Many respect the MBAs and the wizards of Wall Street who dabble in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and euphemistic things called securities. But in those days, there were no savings and loans institutions. There were no banks. But there were crises and there were wars that could pop up at any time. So, it’s possible that the people who were listening to this parable of Jesus were very influenced by that third servant.

They might think the first two servants as being extremely reckless, especially doing this with someone else’s money. They might think that the third servant was more prudent than the other two.

Dabbling around with money, even by today’s standards, can be a rather risky business.

There is always the possibility (of course) that Jesus was referring to Israel’s religious heritage as well in this parable. This raises the question, “What do you do with religion?” Do you preserve it, or do you practice it?

For years, the followers of the Torah had to protect their faith from invasion from all sides – first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, then the Greeks and the Romans. The Greeks, in particular, were defilers of the temple in their attempt to Helenize that part of the mid-east.

It is no wonder the Rabbis taught that to be religiously faithful, one had to defend the faith; one had to hold onto it and protect it, even by hiding it.

Do you remember that wonderful story of Anne Frank during World War II and the Holocaust? In a higher and more spiritual sense, religion (as seen through the eyes of Jesus in this parable) could also refer to something more than just something to talk about, more than something between me and God.

Religion seen in His eyes is to invest, to use, to practice, to share, to splurge, and even to risk. It is definitely not something to sit on, bury, shelve, can, preserve, freeze, or even pass along to somebody else in the next generation. Jesus also said, “By their fruit ye shall know them” – BY what is produced – not by what is promised.

So the only question Jesus is going to ask us is “What have we done with what we have been given to invest and to share to make this world a little better place for humanity?” What are we doing with this? What are we going to do with this? Or what have we done with this?

There was a recent headline from the newspaper that caught my eye. It said: He Finally Gets What He Gave Up. The sub-heading is: Teen Who Bought Van For Stranger Buys His Car With Help From Others. There is a picture of 16-year-old boy standing next to his new Honda Accord.

In July, he attended an American Cancer Society auto auction. He had $1,500 in his pocket to get a used car. What he found was a woman with Lou Gehrig’s disease weeping because she could not afford the $3,700 price tag for the van she wanted and needed to get around. So the boy put down the $1,500, and his mother put down the difference. Then he bought the van and gave it to this woman.

The people who saw this were touched. They applauded; some cried.

After the story appeared in the newspaper, funds rolled in from everywhere – enough to more than purchase a vehicle. Radio talk shows interviewed him, and more than 600 cards and letters came to him, and donations to the boy’s trust fund built up, all he said he was trying to do was to help someone, which is the basic ingredient of service – Martha’s work.

BOTH Martha and Mary had valuable spiritual work to do. Martha had a purpose, just as Mary had a purpose that evening.

This planet of ours is starved for kindness. This earth of ours is virtually crying out for compassion. Yes, I know that Martha represents that part of us that is so easily distracted and frustrated that it’s almost impossible for us to not complain about something for any length of time. I also know that Biblically speaking, Mary has chosen what one translation calls the “right portion.” But that doesn’t downplay Martha’s work at all.

She and Mary are sisters. What they represent must have equal importance because of this inter-relationship. Martha, then, gives her service externally, while Mary’s devotion is internal.

The point is that both are important ingredients that are absolutely necessary for our own spiritual growth and development in consciousness. They are part and parcel of our spiritual make-up and composition in the soul. Doing spiritual work (that is, applying what we know spiritually and serving) is so much more important than just talking about it or discussing it.

We’ve always been confronted with that age-old question: Which is more important? Being or doing? You have to be a human being first before you can be a human doing. You have to know the Truth before you can apply it.

Jesus said this in so many words: It isn’t the Truth that sets us up free; it is knowing the truth that sets us free.

I believe the essential “to do” ingredient, here, is what I call choice. My life, up to this very point, is based upon what I have said “Yes” to and what I have said “No” to. The definite maybes cannot be counted.

They are disqualified.

Choosing can be a rather tedious and sometimes difficult task.

Years ago, when Charlie Grimm was managing the Chicago Cubs, he got a telephone call from one of his scouts in the field. The scout said, “Charlie, this is George down here in the minor leagues, and I’ve just seen the most stupendous thing.”

Charlie said, “Tell me about it.”

The scout said, “Well, I just saw a pitcher throw a perfect game. He retired 27 straight batters without even getting a base hit. It was wonderful! He struck out the side, except for the last batter who got two foul balls, and then he struck out as well. What do you want me to do?”

Charlie replied, “Go find the man who hit the two foul balls. We’re looking for hitters this year.”

The power of choice is the executive power of mind, the will in a human. How do we know whether we are on target with this? How do we know whether we are being willing or willful?

What if we lived life backwards? Sometimes we TRY to do that.

Maybe we can think about what it would be like if we should die first and get it out of the way. Then you live Since 1999 at an old age home, and you get kicked out when you’re too young. You get a gold watch, and then you go to work.

You work Since 1999 until you are young enough to enjoy your retirement. Then you go to college until you are ready for high school. Then you go to grade school. You become a little kid and play.

You have no responsibilities. You become a little baby. You go back into the womb, and you spend your last nine months floating. You finish off as a gleam in somebody’s eye.

There is another subtle, but incredibly important, point here in this situation with Martha. What the world needs more of now is shakers and movers – doers. That is one of the key reasons why I feel Martha has been short-changed.

Didn’t Jesus also say: “Those who are going to get into the kingdom of heaven are those who DO the will of My Father, and everyone who hears these sayings of mine and who does NOT DO them shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand,” which is the concluding parable in the Sermon On The Mount (Matthew 7). The epistle of James adds: “But BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD and not hearers only, deceiving and your own selves.”

This, again, is conscious choice. No one can do this for us. Sooner or later, we have to do it ourselves for us and allow God’s loving actions through us.

In another story, Martha becomes the central figure. That story has to do with the raising of her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. She is the one Jesus encounters as He is coming into Bethany. It is she who is asked the provocative question by Jesus? “Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life?” There is no doubt in her mind whatsoever and she says, “Yea, Lord, I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God which should come into the world” [from the gospel according to John].

It is she who leads the way to the tomb cave where Lazarus is buried. She just may have been instrumental in helping to roll away that guardian stone. The scripture only says they took away the stone, without identifying, specifically, who the “they” is. So not only does Martha express faith, but it is a working faith. Yes, I believe, and I’m going to help roll that stone away.

That’s what Steven Covey in “The Seven Habits of Effective People” says to begin with. Any overcoming, any personal or private triumph, begins with being proactive. Pro-activity is much more than just the taking of initiative. It is also the responsibility to do this as well.

We choose to look forward not backward. We ask ourselves the question:

Are we going to be proactive or reactive?

Are we going to cause things to happen or are we going to be on the receiving end of the happening? Are we going to be affected by the weather, or are we going to take the weather along with us? Are we going to be affected by the social weather of others who have been empowered to control us, or are we going to be driven by carefully thought-out and selected internalized values?

Covey even goes so far as to suggest a 30-day litmus test of faith – the Martha factor – by making small commitments, one at a time, and then keeping them; of being judge but being a light, being a model and not a critic, being part of the solution and not the problem.

People who exercise their embryonic freedom, day after day, little by little, expand upon this freedom. People who do not, find that it withers away, until they are literally being lived, since they are acting out scripts written by another person such as parents, associates, or society.

We have come to a place, now, where our search for God must no longer be just for the rewards. It must no longer be for seeking other people to follow, but it must be living a full life ourselves.

So let us get Martha and Mary together, in our prayer times. Let us begin by praying with our feet moving.

Love to serve and show it.

God bless you.

PRAYER / MEDITATION______________________________

As we prepare for this time of coming together, in prayer, let’s take a deep breath and know the infilling of God’s love, power, and peace.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

As we relax, and become more comfortable in our seat, we know that we are surrounded and infilled with God’s love. Whenever we take the time to turn to God in prayer, we experience the presence.

This is a labor of love. It makes all of our work much easier, more fluidly, and more understandable.

We ask in prayer for God to empower us to make a difference. Together we can make a spiritual difference! We resonate with the idea of working for God in our prayer time.

The power of one, multiplied by many – a spiritual combination! What an ingredient to remember always in our everyday lives, when we get caught up in our busyness running here and there and doing this and that.

God we ask that You will direct our ways, guide us in our prayers, empower us in our actions.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Let us relax and become still for a few moments. Know that the still, small voice that speaks to us in this spiritual meditative process is always our inner guidance. For just a few minutes, hear what that inner guidance has to say to you this day.

Let us get in touch with who and what we are.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

In Christianity, we make an emphasis of going into the silence of prayer because we know that is where ALL the power is found.

As we move from center to circumference in our everyday experience of life, we know that all good things are waiting for us in that secret place of the most high (as described in the Old Testament).

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Together we can make a difference! What tremendous words of reassurance.

As we are willing to give of ourselves, our time, our energy, our treasure, we do the true labors of Jesus Christ. That is the fulfillment of the law.

Regardless of the degree of the service, regardless of how many times it is done and offered in love, it returns to us bountiful blessings.

This is often difficult for human mind to comprehend, but heartwarming, nevertheless.

So, this day, we send a special blessing to all those who labor in God’s love, all those who are seeking God’s Truth as they know and understand it, all those who are in service in some way, manner, or form to You, dear God.

We are grateful for this, and we are appreciative of this.

In the name and through the nature of Jesus Christ … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
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GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

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04Jan

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – New Year – New Life

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - New Year - New Life

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It seems like a good place to start a new way of thinking – an ending for a beginning. I’m going to read from the end of our Bible, Revelation 21:1-7, but I’m only going to read to you the first two verses to begin.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

The writer of Revelation speaks of a new heaven and a new earth for us. I can’t think of a better way to begin a new way of thinking than to think about the new heaven and the new earth, and what it means for each of us; whether it means a new heaven and a new earth in the literal sense, or whether it means a new heaven and a new earth within us – new thoughts, new feelings, a new past, a new present.

The old life CAN pass away. There can be a new past, a new present, and a new future. I believe that the words that the writer of Revelation was speaking to us are words for us – each one, individually – a new heaven and a new earth; not just figures of speech, but a reality for you and for me.

As I mentioned earlier, I know that there are people in this church who have things in their past that they hope they never remember. Yet, they are constantly remembering things that are tugging at them and holding them and making their lives more difficult to live. These are things they wish had never happened, or that somehow they could eliminate from their thinking.

I know there are others, when they look into the future, that picture made them not want to get up in the morning; it made them not want to go to bed at night because they knew that the next morning they were going to have to get up and face whatever it is that they have to face, but don’t want to.

Listen because there is a new heaven and a new earth for you.

We all can live a better, more full, more complete, happier, more peaceful life in which we can have memories that don’t hold us captive; a life in which we look forward to the future. The key to that life is within us, new life is a continuous gift from God.

I’ve never met a person, that I could not see God-given possibilities in them. I do not care how much a person may consider himself or herself a failure, I believe in them for they can change the thing that is wrong in their lives any time they are ready and prepared to do so with God’s help. Whenever they develop the desire, they can take away from their lives the thing that is defeating it. The capacity for reformation and change lies within, it is in each one of us from the Creator.

Where does this new Jerusalem, this new heaven, this new earth come from? According to the writer of Revelation, it comes down from heaven which means it comes from within. Where is heaven? Is it a place in the sky? Jesus Christ said the kingdom of heaven is within you. Heaven is a state of consciousness in which God resides. And the new Jerusalem comes from that state of awareness.

It is a special state of spiritual consciousness. It has to be prepared like a bride for her wedding day, which means that our thoughts must be pure and committed to one idea, to one bridegroom – the Christ. We must be committed to God.

The key is this: “Take my life and let it be consecrated wholly to Thee.” Give your life, your mind, your heart to God.

Revelation 21:3 says: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.”

It’s not about God coming to us. It’s not about God somehow coming out of the heavens and coming into our lives. It is about us giving our minds and our hearts into an attitude, a place, where God is already. It is aligning our hearts and minds with God – the Christ within, that which is already within us, that which is already a part of us.

It is about focusing on an idea: the Truth that God is with us right now, to help us in our every need.

God is not only with us, but is in every cell of our bodies, within our positive thoughts, within our faith, our hopes.

God is there in all of it.

Think about it. If God is good, and the movement of God is toward good and growth for all of us in the world, and if God is in both the good and the seemingly bad experiences in life, then might there not be something good to be taken from even the worst of times?

Even in the midst of tragedy we can find God, and therefore we can ultimately find some meaningful purpose for our lives.

I want to tell you a story about a wonderful, successful man I know who lost everything. He has never forgotten that he lost everything, but his world today is a wonderful place. His world today has more meaning and more purpose even after a list of seeming tragedies.

I am going to call my friend Mark. I am going to say he lives in Texas. By most people’s standards, Mark had a very rough life, especially as a young married man, an entrepreneur, a businessman. He seeming had everything going for him, and then one day he got the news that his 8-year-old son, the light of his life, had died.

Mark felt as if his life was over. His son was his everything. All of a sudden, everything he lived for was gone.

In the midst of this all-consuming tragedy, his marriage dissolved. It could not stand the weight of this tragedy. And in the midst of that tragedy, his business came apart because it needed his attention, and he could not give his attention to anything but the problems and the sorrows of his life.

He was about as far down as any person could be – mentally and emotionally. He wasn’t just hurting; he could not stand the thought of getting up in the morning knowing that he had to face the memories that affected both his past and future.

It was about that time that a friend of his, trying to help and console him, invited him to come to church. What he heard that day, many years ago, changed his life. What he heard was at first foreign to him as a message of hope and Truth, and yet it made sense.

What he heard was this: His future, would be a product of his own thinking. And so together, he and God, were co-creating his life. He heard of positive message, only God could heal his life now – but only if he were willing to begin anew. It was God who was helping him to live whatever he chose. Mark was in charge of the process. He was the one who was choosing what he would think, how he would respond, and what his reactions would be to the events of life.

Over time, he began to put the principles that Jesus taught to work in his life. He has done this so successfully that he is now an extremely happy man with a lovely wife, three beautiful children, a highly successful business and ample money.

With God’s help, Mark reinvented himself, and started the new life.

Mark decided to look for the gift in every event of the past, and he decided to look for the positive potential in the future.

What he found was that he started finding what he was looking for. He started finding the gifts from the past. He started finding the positive potential in the future. It was from that that he started the trek out of the negative and into the positive.

He got to the point that he could think about his son and smile thankful for the experience that he had during the good times.

Now he has devoted a part of his life to helping others with children in crisis. He’s been instrumental in helping to found an organization for that purpose. He decided to use his failed marriage as a learning tool to become better, stronger, and a more compassionate and understanding husband and father. He has taken the seeming failures of the past and turned them into the steppingstones of success. He says that his past has made him a better man in the present.

He looks to the future with a sense of hope and promise, knowing that life cannot present anything to him that he and God working together cannot turn into something positive; an opportunity for growth, good, and success. He did all of this from a single thought – the recognition that God is in every aspect of his life; he is never, ever alone.

I want to read the rest of the passage from Revelation [21:4-5, 7]: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Know this, for these words are trustworthy and true … . Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”

One simple, yet profound turn in spiritual consciousness can mean the difference between the old Jerusalem and the new, being stuck in fear, hurt and anger or being free to be all you are created to be.

This is a wonderful moment; a moment to decide for God and for good in our lives. This is a time of changing the past and changing the future by changing our thinking and our focus to God and good and a positive approach to life right now.

What an incredible change that would make for every one of us. It is worth thinking about. It is worth doing. You, too, can change your past and change your future to something beautiful, meaningful, and positive now and forever.

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION________________________________

Relax now, totally, and completely. Release everything into God’s care. God is there. Let us begin this day by saying to God: “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to Thee. Take my all.”

In the silence of prayer, God is there … .

(Silence)

Right here, right now, right where you are, God is with you. Wherever you are, whatever the circumstances, God is there. There is nowhere you can go, where God is not.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Say this out loud with me in prayer, TOGETHER- “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to Thee. Take my all.”

Let the Spirit of God move freely through you, your thoughts, your feelings, your angers, your hurts, your fears, and your doubts. Let God move freely, taking it all away, and let go and let God be God in your life. Let God heal you.

The warmth of God’s joy shines in and through you. You radiate happiness and good cheer wherever you are, wherever you go.

No situation or person has the power to take away your joy or hinder its expression. In God, you have a legacy of joy, for it brightens all your days and lightens all your tasks. The joy you feel comes from the Spirit of God within you. Joy wells up from within, filling your heart with good cheer and flooding your soul with perpetual light. Thank You God, for filling me with the joy in this hour. Thank You for the realization that Your spirit within me is unabated and the eternal source of help. Thank You, God, for showing me ways to let your presence overflow into every area of my life.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Hold nothing back. Be not afraid, for there is new life, new light, new peace, new joy, a new heaven and a new earth awaiting you right now in the silence of your heart and mind. As you let go and let God, you are free to be that which you are created to be free to live the unencumbered life that is yours to live.

Feel the freedom that comes from within, that comes from the Christ as you let go and let God be God in and through you now and forever more.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Dear God, You have my life, it is consecrated to you. You have my faith and total commitment.

And so it is, in the name and nature of Jesus Christ … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
21Dec

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – A NEW YEAR – A NEW TIME

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - A NEW YEAR - A NEW TIME

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Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

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“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.” Ezekiel 36:26

I’d begin this morning by reading from the 40th Psalm: “I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God … You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you … Then I said, ‘Here I am in the scroll of the book it is written of me, I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart'” [Psalm 40:1-3, 5, 7-8].

I seek to encourage you, this new year, to live more from your heart. I understand that some people have a misunderstanding about what it means to live more from the heart. Just the other day a man came to me and said, “That has been the cause of all my trouble, all my life. I have been following my heart and it’s gotten me into all sorts of problems.”

I want to dispel some confusing thoughts about living from the heart.

Living from the heart does not mean blind emotionalism. It does not mean in every instance, “If it feels good, do it.” It does not mean to throw your intelligence and common sense overboard. Living from the heart means following God-given Christ intelligence.

Living more from the heart does not mean that you become more emotional.

The emotions grow out of our predominately held thoughts and beliefs – our persistently held attitudes. The emotions are actually seated lower than the heart – in the pit of the stomach.

You have to deal with your emotions in two ways. First, when you have them, you have to admit it. Have you ever seen anyone who you know is furious, who angrily says, “I am not angry!”?

You think, “Oh yeah? Then why is your face red and steam coming off of your scalp?”

You have to acknowledge your emotions and deal with them appropriately when they come up.

Then, if you find that these emotions have been destructive, you need to take some time looking at the thoughts and beliefs and attitudes that spawned them in the first place. Maybe you are going to have to make a correction in that area.

Our scripture referred to a new song. It concluded with the words, “I delight to do your will, O my God, your law is within my heart.” Each of us has a song of the heart. It is what we are about. We need to discover it, sing it, and live it, with all our being.

This is not about singing somebody else’s song, no matter how wonderful it might be. It is not about dancing to someone else’s tune. It is about finding and singing your own song, telling your own story, and dancing your own dance.

Your song, your message, your story, the meaning for your life was hidden within your heart, from God on high, the moment you were first conceived in the mind of the Almighty. I am sure many of you remember Thoreau’s words: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

Whatever beat you march to, or tune you dance to, or song you sing, let it be yours. Let the music of your life be from your heart – the higher heart, the Christ within you.

And allow others the freedom to sing their songs, no matter how out of tune with your ear or syncopated in rhythm.

We are each created by God. Love others and appreciate them without exception, without trying to make them be like you, or sing your song, or play in your band, under your direction.

Ross Snyder wrote a wonderful piece entitled, “The Person Next To You.” His words have helped many to be more tolerant of the songs of the heart of brothers and sisters who are different from them.

I want you to take a moment right now and look at the people around you.

I want you now to close your eyes and listen to these words from Mr. Snyder that I have modified somewhat. With your eyes closed, meditatively think about the people around you as you hear these words.

A person has invisible activities. The person nearest you is an exhaustible sort of existence. Nine-tenths of his or her possibility has not yet been touched on. Deep within this person is a great toughness, a great tenacity, in the face of adversity.

A person has an overpowering will to survive, to arrive at destinations, to blossom with the spontaneity of a rose at 7 o’clock on a June morning.

The person sitting next to you is an urge to become manifest, to become something in particular, to emerge as a dependable structure, from out of a hazy, undefined cloud of being, and then to make clear and vivid this pattern until he or she is significant life.

This person is in pain to be authentic, to experience a moment of truth, to have a story and a song. This one needs to be known even as he or she knows oneself – at a level deeper than words.

Each person needs to know his or her own song of the heart, and needs to sing it, proudly. Most people either do not know their song or are afraid to sing it, so most people are suffering. We seek to be authentic, to be real, not just a copy of somebody else, not just standing on the stage singing somebody else’s song. It may be a great song, but if it is not ours, we are not being authentic. We need to be heard, acknowledged, and appreciated for singing our song, our way.

We are not isolated cave dwelling hermits or some kind of individual, self-contained creatures. We live in community with other human spiritual beings. We need to be heard. We need to be acknowledged, appreciated, and loved. And we need to actively listen to others and hear and appreciate and acknowledge and love those who are around us.

I believe these acts of listening, hearing, acknowledging, appreciating, and loving others and ourselves are vital to our world. These acts are needed for us to be whole and well and strong, and for our planet to be healthy and prosperous.

I believe that this is the message that Jesus Christ brought to this world.

I have three extremely important ideas about living your vision that I want to share this morning. I want you to take your Sunday bulletin and a pencil or a pen because I want you to participate with me this morning.

Somewhere on that bulletin I want you to write four key thoughts. I want you to take them home with you.

The first thought is “My song of the heart.” Put a colon after it and draw a line under it. Beneath “My song of the heart,” write the word “clarity;” beneath that word write “commitment;” and beneath that word write “cooperation.”

My song of the heart:

Clarity

Commitment

Cooperation

If you have these four items working in your life, you will have a magnificent life. And if any of these is missing, something is missing from your life and you are not living up to your full potential as an authentic, actualized, loving, whole person within the community of humankind.

What is your song of the heart? It is something more than you have right now. It is that which defines you as a person. Your song of the heart is what your life is all about. If you do not know your song of the heart, how can you stand straight and tall and sing it unashamedly on the stage of your life? If you do not know your story, then how are you going to know if you have lived it when you come to the end of your life?

Ninety-nine percent of the people on this planet consider themselves unsuccessful or have some degree of frustration and unhappiness precisely because they do not know, or they do not sing their own song. They get by; they exist; they breathe; they eat; they sleep; they go to work; they have children and grandchildren. And they live unfulfilled because they never sang their own song in their own way. This is a great tragedy and a tremendous waste of human life. And it is totally unnecessary. Most people are not living their own lives, they are living a life that someone else wanted them to live.

Let me share two true stories with you. One man sang his own unique song and the other did not. First is the one who did not sing. Tim wanted to be an architect. He took mechanical drawing in high school. He was good at it.

During his senior year in high school, he studied architecture. He was one of the best in the class. He wanted to go to Georgetown University, which has a very fine engineering school with pretty high academic standards.

His high school guidance counselor told him he was too weak in mathematics to go there. This young man’s parents had never been to college, but they wanted him to have the opportunity, so they saved money for him and gave him a choice. He could go to college or he could have a brand new car. Because that guidance counselor told him he couldn’t make it at Georgetown University, he decided not to sing his song. The day after graduation, he had a brand new shiny car. He was proud of that.

Today, twenty-five years after graduation, that car sits rusting and decaying in a scrap heap, and so does his vision.

Brian is another story. His family was dirt poor. Brian’s father died when Brian was young. His mother did the best she could. Brian’s song was to be a lawyer, but there was no money to go to college, not even a state school. So, he went into the service and served in Vietnam. Four years later, he got a part-time job working in the inner city, and he went to college on a GI bill. He was a “C” student. His grades weren’t really good enough for law school, but he wanted to live his vision with all his heart, and he did.

He applied to dozens of law schools at considerable expense, and everyone of them turned him down, except for one. They said to him, “You don’t really have the grades to get into law school, but because you worked your way through college and you helped kids in the inner city, we think there is something about you that deserves a second look. We have a summer remedial program. If you take the program and successfully complete it, we’ll let you into law school in the fall.”

He did it. He struggled. He made it into law school by the skin of his teeth. When he graduated from law school, he did so with honors.

Today, he is married with a great wife and two gorgeous children. He put his wife through college (nobody in her family had ever been through college); he put his younger brother through college. He’s in his mid-forties now.

He only has to work when he wants to – as much or as little as he likes.

He lives in a beautiful home and is happy and satisfied.

He once confessed that he knew he had just average intelligence, but he was committed to living his vision. He did that, and to this day, he reads at least one chapter in some kind of positive thinking, self-development book, every night.

He sings his own song of the heart and you can sing yours too. But first you have to have clarity. You need to discover your song, if you don’t already know it. You must tune into your own heart’s music. That is not always easy to do because everyone else’s music is blaring around you.

Right now, as I am speaking, there are other noises. There may be people scraping ice, heaters blowing, people rustling papers, or doors opening and closing. You can tune them out if you want to.

What is your song of your heart? Is it what your parents said? Or your teachers? Or television? Or movies? Or your school guidance counselor?

Or your minister? Or your friends? Or society? Or family? Or the ego?

Or is it what the higher heart tells you?

You and God are the only ones who know what your song is. You might have known when you were a child, but you put it aside because someone said it was dumb, or it embarrassed him or her, and they didn’t want you to do it. A parent might have said to you something like one man’s father said to him when he told him he was going to be a minister. He said, “Why do you want to be a minister? You will never make a living at that! Be a lawyer, like me, or a doctor.”

If you are not clear, you cannot sing your song; you can’t live your life fully, you can’t find your way. Take the time to be clear, concise, and straightforward in your song of the heart. Work at it, diligently.

Don’t rush it; don’t be impatient.

Decide to keep an appointment with God every day. Give your time back to God.

I encourage you to make an appointment with God. Sit in the silence of prayer.

Pray. Meditate. Do a heart lock-in. Do it regularly, until you hear your song again. If it takes two years, or five, or ten? So, what! The important thing is that before you exit this stage of life, you have stood tall and proud and clearly lived your vision in front of God and everybody.

The second idea is commitment. You must be totally committed to your clear, concise vision of your heart. Jesus knew His song of the heart and had total commitment to it. On the Cross, as He was taking His last breaths, He was teaching us some of His most powerful lessons in life.

He was sharing with His very last ounce of energy.

Do you remember His last recorded words from the Cross? “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” His purpose was to be our spiritual leader and example. He was so committed to that purpose that he could look death in the eye and not back up. No one ever lived there vision well, without commitment.

In Proverbs 16:3, we read, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Does one who never really lived ever really die? If you want to really live, you have to have a heart, a theme, a story, a vision, to which you are committed.

If you are at a place in your life where you are frustrated because you don’t really know your song of your heart, then now is the time to make a commitment to discover it again. Now is the time, no matter what your age, to discover your song.

Go to God. It is not God’s reluctance that keeps you from getting God’s message. It might be your own resistance. It is our own resistance if we are not getting our guidance right away. Some people are afraid, for some reason or another, about living their vision.

The point is, if you have a song of your heart and you are committed to it, then you will have the sweetest, most precious, most wonderful experience known to man or woman.

The last idea is cooperation. In the 133rd Psalm, we read: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head … it is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained His blessing, life forevermore.” [Psalm 133:1-3]

You should not sing your song alone. You need harmony and accompaniment.

How wonderful it is that there are kindred spirits to sing with you, to support you, to lift you up.

Human life is not meant to be an A cappella solo. There are beautiful arrangements with orchestra, your own percussion section, and voices to support you and lift you up.

You sing the song of your heart and invite others to sing and support you, and then, in turn, you support them and help them sing theirs. That is dwelling together in God’s love, cooperating with our fellow human beings.

When we do that, we find that we are truly living in the place where the Lord ordained God’s blessing, life forevermore.

One of the reasons we have churches is for kindred to live together in love.

What one heart cannot bear alone, 100 hearts beating together can.

I would hope that when you find your heart cannot bear its burden alone, you come and be part of this church or any church, that you will find a class, a minister, a counselor, or a retreat. Cooperation is a key to singing your song.

Today, we touched upon the most important topic I know of: the song of your heart. There were three key ideas:

Clarity – be clear and concise in your song.

Commitment – be committed to your song and if you don’t know it, be committed to finding it.

Cooperation – cooperate with others in singing your song and in helping them sing theirs.

Do you remember that attorney named Brian I talked about? I said he was a “C” student. It dawned on me as I was writing this that he was, indeed, a “C” student where it counted.

He had the three C’s – clarity, commitment, and cooperation.

That has made the difference in his life and it can make a difference in your life. That is the way to way to fulfillment – to sing the song of your heart and live your vision.

Happy New Year!

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION__________________________

This is the time when we experience the presence and the power of God. Meditation is the time when we go in prayer and feel and know that we are one with God, that we always have been and always will be.
We have prepared for this time. I would like you to find a comfortable position: maybe put your feet flat on the floor and take anything that might be in your hands and put it aside. Breathe deeply at your own pace, several times.

With each inhalation, know that you are drawing in faith, as well as fresh oxygen. With each exhalation, know that you are letting go of tensions, stress, and strain. You breathe in faith and you let go of any thoughts or feelings or frustrations that have made you feel separate from God.

Breathe deeply and release slowly and gently. Know with me, silently in prayer: I am relaxed; I am poised; I am at peace; I am one with God; I always have been and always will be. For the next few moments, I stop worrying about what might be and I stop fretting over what has been.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

I am still, centered in my heart, and there I meet with God. There in the quiet, in the peace and love-filled space of my heart, I remember what my life is about, what my dream is, what my heart-song is.

I remember something I may have let go of many years ago, believing it was impractical, or I was incapable of accomplishing it, or that it just would not make any difference to anyone. I surround that dream, that vision, with my belief.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

This day, many of us have dreams for 2021.

God will help us to make this world a better place. One of the best ways to live our own dreams, is to be free and not encumbered by lack of faith.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

God helps you to be capable of accomplishing your dream. Believe that. God is helping me, making me capable of accomplishing my dream. If I give myself over to that dream, totally, if I am clear in what it is that my heart longs to sing, if I am committed, if I cooperate with God and my fellow human beings, it is achievable.

This day, dare to believe there is a song in you that will lift you above frustration, feelings of failure, doubt, insecurity, or fear. It will lift you to a new life, greater happiness, fulfillment, peace of mind, prosperity, and health. By going in prayer and finding the song of your heart, giving yourself over to it, and working in partnership with God, you are unstoppable.

Dream your dream. Live your life as you have always wanted to, and trust God in the universe to stream into you and provide you with all the resources and energy and wisdom you need to stand tall and to proudly sing your song. You can do it. It is the truth about you. It is the truth about God with you, right now.

Now, gently, peacefully, serenely, draw your attention back to this place and time. Take another deep breath and know that you are prepared for the truth that is your truth, this day, from God.

May God bless this year for us all.

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

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DONATION: To donate credited to this calendar year, do so by midnight on the 31st or send us a check dated before 2021. Your thank you letter will reflect the offering date, even if we receive it at the post office after the first.
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387
Thank you!
___

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
14Dec

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Do not Let ANYTHING Steal Your Christmas Spirit

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Do not Let ANYTHING Steal Your Christmas Spirit

Time Sensitivity: Sunday Before, or Wednesday Before, Christmas

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Take note: On Positive Daily Inspiration we are sharing daily the spiritual meanings on The 12 days of Christmas along with A LOT of good Christmas stories you could use. Subscribe or we will post daily in our archives:
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Have you ever seen the cartoon movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas?” The Grinch had an idea as to how to keep Christmas from coming. Do you what that idea was? He tried to turn his little dog into a reindeer (by putting some antlers on his head) and made him pull a big sled down to Whoville. Then the Grinch took all the Christmas trees, all the presents, and all the decorations from Whoville, loaded them into the sled, and took them out of Whoville.

The Grinch just didn’t like Christmas; he had a problem. His heart was too small, so he wasn’t able to find the joy in Christmas.

Did he succeed? Did he take Christmas away from the Whos in Whoville? No. Even though he tried to take Christmas away, he could not because he couldn’t take away their love. And that is what Christmas is all about.

What happened when the Whos woke up on Christmas morning and noticed all their Christmas presents, Christmas trees, and decorations were gone? They formed a circle, held hands, and sang a song. So, nothing was able to keep Christmas from coming in Whoville. And at the very end, we found out that the Grinch was not a bad guy; he just needed love.

Christmas is all about love. As I thought about what I wanted to say, speaking so close to Christmas, the message kept coming to me — love and joy. I saw it so beautifully illustrated in this Christmas classic that I wanted to share pieces of it with you and talk a little of how I see the Grinch story unfolding.

The Grinch’s real problem was that his heart was too small. I believe that one of the things we often find ourselves experiencing in life a sense of ourselves as being somehow unworthy (which sometimes comes in the form of anger, jealously, possessiveness, shame, or guilt).

I have even come to the place of believing that whenever we are experiencing a negative state of mind, it really has to do with our own sense of unworthiness in life.

We have a God-given right to be here. What represents a Grinch state of consciousness? He was really loving all along. Though he appeared to be trying to take Christmas away from everybody else, what he really wanted was to have his own Christmas experience.

But it did not look that way. Oftentimes, as we approach the Grinch’s in our own lives, it doesn’t seem as though they are there to bring us a gift of something good.

All of the Whos down in Whoville, on the other hand, represent those parts of ourselves that are loving, and that truly want to experience Christmas as an opportunity to be filled with love and joy.

No matter what we are encountering in life, we have the opportunity to adopt either a Grinch state of mind or a Who state of mind.

Oftentimes, we may feel as though these characters are imposed upon us from somewhere outside of us, but the truth is we know life is a spiritual within, and so without, experience. So, if we encounter a Grinch somewhere in our world outside of us, where does that Grinch really live? Nowhere but in our own thoughts and awareness.

This makes the decision to be a Who or a Grinch very much our own choice. We really are not victims of circumstances or the actions or activities of other people outside of us. We are always – moment-by-moment throughout our lives – making the choice to either view the experiences that come to us from the perspective of the Grinch or that sense of learned unworthiness that we accumulate through life. Or we can choose to see opportunities in our lives as chances to love, as chances to affirm our natural worthiness and live – in joy.

You see, our natural state is one of worthiness. It is one that knows, as Jesus said of us, that we are children of God. What could possibly be more worthy than a child of God?

But oftentimes, we are not very convincing with ourselves because, since we were little children, there have been so many aspects of ourselves that we were taught not to appreciate. I think of this as the difference between the recognized spirituality of us and the unrecognized spirituality of us.

The truth is, my friends, that we are, right now, living in the kingdom of God, but we do not always choose to perceive our lives as kingdom experiences. We always have that opportunity, but it is not always easy to choose it, because of the aspects of ourselves that we have learned to deny, those aspects that make us feel so unworthy.

What happens when we are in a great Grinch consciousness? Just like the Grinch in the movie, we tend to want to persecute and, yes, even to be persecuted. So, the unpleasant episodes we have in our lives are oftentimes experiences in which we are trying to inflict a certain sort of punishment or torture on ourselves.

It is not necessary for us to go on living that way any longer. It is possible for us to live in a world of love. This means that the Christmas experience can become incredibly real to us if we will take an adventure from right this moment through Christmas and begin to view the opportunities or experiences in our lives as the chances in which we can bring forth this Who consciousness, this consciousness of love, this consciousness of worthiness, this consciousness of joy. If we are to truly follow Jesus Christ, we have to realize “WHO” we are.

We can begin to see that everything in life is sacred – one Presence and one Power of God. Everything is sacred. Our relationships with our families, friends, and co-workers are sacred. When we encounter unpleasant experiences with them, it is an opportunity to see the Grinch part of ourselves that still needs healing, that still needs prayer, that still needs to move from the unrecognized spiritual to the recognized spiritual human.

Everything in life is sacred. The time we have between now and Christmas is a great opportunity. It could not be a greater time of year with the gathering of friends, with the stresses of buying that last gift, or whatever might be on your list to complete. The tendency is to let that Grinch rise forth from within us. What we need to do is love the Grinch.

When the Whos in Whoville loved the Grinch, what happened? He became loving also. He wanted to share. And so, the neglected parts of ourselves want to share in the Christmas experience, too.

We are at a critical time in human history. We are at a time in human evolution where we can begin to make choices. We do not have to live as unconscious victims any longer. So, when we encounter friction in our lives, difficulty in a relationship, or when things appear not to be going the way we want them to go, we can make a choice.

The first thing that is necessary to move from a Grinch into a Who is to develop a part of yourself that can become a gentle, non-judgmental observer of your own activities. It’s hard for us to move out of the Grinch state of consciousness if we don’t even realize we are in it, or if we’re always seeing that Grinch in other people and never recognizing that it resides in us.

We can go on living like that for decades, but we will live a life of unhappiness because we are making unhappy choices. We are not pulling far enough away from our own behavior in life to be able to observe it non-judgmentally and gently, and to be able to say, “If I’m experiencing a Grinch out here, there must be some Grinch within me that has been activated. This is an opportunity for me to find and claim my own worthiness as a child of God, and to choose joy and happiness, instead of fear and unhappiness.”

This is a choice that you make many, many times, every day of your life. From the simplest gesture you may make to another person when you are Christmas shopping, be aware of your relationships. Be aware of how you feel inside. Do not necessarily try to change it, but just be aware. “I must be in a Grinch state of consciousness,” or “I must be in a Who state of consciousness.”

Give thanks when you are experiencing that Who state of consciousness, the loving state of consciousness. But when you find yourself experiencing the Grinch–and you will, because we all do, because we’re all in this human drama together–take just a moment to remember that everything in life is sacred, including the Grinch’s. They bring you the greatest Christmas gifts of all.

Oftentimes the relationships in our lives that are the most difficult have the greatest gold within them, if we will only be persistent in seeking and finding the goodness that is there. How many opportunities we will have ahead of us.

I think that as we move into this new time, in human consciousness and evolution, we will find that this tradition of celebrating Jesus birth, is actually a living process that takes place day-by-day within us as we choose love, as we choose not to allow our perceived unworthiness to keep that Christ essence from being born, from being realized inside of us.

This takes tremendous commitment. It is much easier to blame the challenges in our lives on society, our work, or even on our religion. But the truth is, we are free agents. We are free to make the choice. We are free to develop that observer within us, and then to become particularly good decision-makers and make a choice to love.

That is the opportunity that is before us this Christmas. I believe that is the opportunity that lies before us in the New Year we are moving into. I believe that, within the next few months, we will begin to see the Christmas experience move from one of trees, and decorations, and gifts, to a Christmas experience that happens every day of our lives, because we are going to be choosing to love. God is love and worship God every day we too must become love

It is a decision, a commitment that takes place inside of us. It is a commitment that I believe you are capable in joining me in pursuing because you are here, because the circumstances in all of your lives have lead you to this place, this time, and this God Truth. It is the recognition that you can take responsibility for your life, that you are not a victim of the whims or the negative states of mind of other people. No matter what situation you are in, you can choose the Jesus Christ way of love.

It is time to redefine Christmas in Webster’s New 21st Century Dictionary. Would you like to write it with me this morning? Let’s redefine Christmas. Let’s take it from a date on a calendar or an experience that happened 2,000 years ago and redefine it as an experience of love and joy, in our lives today. What better way to follow Jesus Christ than to have rebirth of spiritual consciousness in us.

Two-thousand years ago, Mary and Joseph made a difficult, arduous journey to the city of Bethlehem. Mary was with Child. You can imagine how difficult and challenging that journey was.

Well, my friends, we are on that same journey today – the journey from being a Grinch to being a Who; the journey from being unworthy to being worthy.

You can do it this Christmas. In fact, you are destined to do it – to give birth to that Christ Child in your daily actions and re-actions. Today, we are taking the same journey Mary and Joseph took. It is difficult. It is challenging. It is not always easy to be human, but we can do it. That is why we are here. We can endure that journey and give birth to a pure form of Christ love in our hearts.

I think we can do it this Christmas. I know we will do it as a human family and a human race in the future. It is our destiny. It is the way we are destined to travel.

So, why not start now? Why not make a commitment this morning, right here in this room, that you will experience the essence of Christmas love and joy no matter what is happening outside of you. Why not make a commitment his morning, right here in this room, that you will experience the essence of Christmas love and joy no matter “who” is happening outside of you. No matter where you may encounter those Grinch’s – love them. They cannot take away the spirit of Christmas from you. They cannot take away the spirit of joy you feel in your heart when you listen to a Christmas carol or you gaze at the beautiful shining lights on you Christmas tree. Don’t let them.

We do not need to live that way anymore, friends. We are moving out of that way into a new way – a way in which peace on earth is going to be more than words in a Christmas carol. It is going to be carved across our hearts.

My friends, we are beings of love. This Christmas, may we all recognize that love in a new and powerful way, and let it move our lives and the life of all humanity to a height beyond anything we have imagined.

God bless you and Merry Christmas.

PRAYER / MEDITATION___________________________

I would like to share with you the following words which were found in old St. Paul’s Church in Baltimore, dated 1692: Desiderata.

“Go placidly amid the noise the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

“Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they, too, have their story.

“Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

“Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career; however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

“Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

“Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

“Take kindly to counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

“Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, … … YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding just as it should.

“Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive God to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.

“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.”

Let us rest, reflect, in the silence of prayer … …

In the name of the Babe born in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ … … Amen

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.
_____

DONATION: To donate credited to this calendar year, do so by midnight on the 31st or send us a check dated before year’s end. Your thank you letter will reflect the 2020 offering date, even if we receive it at the post office after the first.
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387
Thank you!
___

GOD BLESS YOU,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
07Dec

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Not Living Split in Two

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Not Living Split in Two

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

Also, great lesson material available free daily – get Positive Daily Inspiration direct in your email inbox every morning. Text POSITIVEMINISTRY to 22828 to easy, free subscribe.

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First Sunday in December – Celebrating our anniversary of free spiritual serve to our world.

First some fun:

These are actual letters to God from children

(Note, it is good to open with humor, you can pick and choose as you want, use as many or as few as your congregation is enjoying. I’ve been to some churches where you could use them all – you will know if they are working.)

Dear God, Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? Norma

Dear God, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don’t You just keep the ones you have now? Jane

Dear God, Who draws the lines around the countries? Nan

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? Neil

Dear God, Thank you for my baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. Joyce

Dear God, It rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad! He said some things about you that people are not supposed to say, but I hope you will not hurt him anyway. Your friend (but I am not going to tell you who I am)

Dear God, Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. Bruce

Dear God, If we come back as something, please don’t let me be Jennifer Horton, because I hate her. Denise

Dear God, I want to be just like my daddy when I get big, but not with so much hair all over. Sam

Dear God, I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions. Ruth

Dear God, I think about you sometimes, even when I’m not praying. Elliott

Dear God, I bet it is extremely hard for you to love all the people in the world. There are only four people in our family, and I can never do it. Nan

Dear God, Of all the people who worked for you, I like Noah and David the best. Rob

Dear God, My brother told me about being born, but it doesn’t sound right.

Dear God, If you watch me in church Sunday, I’ll show you my new shoes. Mickey

Dear God, We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School, we learned that you did it. So, I bet he stole your idea. Sincerely, Donna

Dear God, I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well, I just want you to know that I am not just saying this because you are God already. Charles

Dear God, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool! Eugene

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. Larry

(PAUSE)

As you are beginning this week, are you filled with enthusiasm? Can you sense the God-given potential that is in front of you?

We have a God-given opportunity to take a look at our life, to see where we have been, and what we have accomplished in the past, and to take a real honest look at where our life is now.

In other words, we have a reality check. We take a look to see if we are on track and doing what we want to do. How many of us take the time to check to see where we have been, and perhaps release a few things from the past?

Every single day we have the opportunity to begin, again, and to create a whole new pattern for our lives if we desire.

Shel Silverstein, in his writings speaks of the opportunity that is at hand in a little quip entitled “Magic Carpet.” He said:

You have a magic carpet
that will whiz you through the air
To Spain or Maine or Africa
if you’ll just tell it where.
So will you let it take you
where you’ve never been before?
Or will you buy it drapes to match,
and use it on the floor?

Are you on that magic carpet of life now? Are we ready to take off this week?

Within each one of us lies that beautiful God-given potential, as children of God.

The keys to the God-given kingdom are within us now. That perfect pattern each of us needs, and the tools with which to open the opportunity doors are within, if we would just take a little time to look and seek what we desire.

Your Divine purpose is to grow spiritually and to uplift those around you, to be able to fully express whatever God-given talents that have been given. God’s will is not necessarily that you should do this, or that, but that you will just allow God to express through you in whatever way is yours, uniquely, to express.

Are we are handling challenges, efficiently?

How is the challenge-handling going in your life? Are you still try to handle challenges alone, or are you relying more on God’s help daily?

I have found that dealing with challenges is a little like white water rafting.

When you are in the midst of the rapids, you know what to do as you are paddling that rubber raft through the rapids. You stay in the moment and are highly alert to challenges.

But then, do you know what happens? In the moments after we get through that tough time, we take a deep breath and say, “Everything is fine now,” and then we often forget about what we need to do.

We sometimes find we are whirling around in an eddy, just on the other side of the rapids. We laugh and say, “Whoops. I let go and I didn’t stay in the flow, in the current.”

You found you would have to do a little bit of retracing of your steps, get back in the flow again, and then your experience would be off and going again.

That is what challenges are for each one of us. Every time we are facing a challenge, we often get up and get going, and then we forget who and what we are. Shortly, we find ourselves whirling around in that eddy.

Maybe some of you sitting here are whirling around, today. But as soon as you do a little back-tracking – spiritually that is getting in touch with God again – you will find yourself back in the current, in the flow of life again, with God’s ever present help.

One of the beautiful keys to the kingdom is we can set our sights on target for the life each one of us should be living, make that spiritual and mental adjustment, and get back on track.

John the Baptist was speaking about mental adjustments when he said, “Repent, repent.” Change your thinking.

The word “repent” comes from the Greek word, Metanoia, meaning “change your direction of attitude.” Take a look at what you are experiencing right now with the eyes of God, with the eyes of that perfect pattern, God-given within you. As you ask, the guidance and direction will come directly to you from God.

A family had the father’s boss over for dinner. As the evening wore on, little Ryan persisted at staring at the boss. Finally, the man was becoming a little uncomfortable and he said, “What are you looking at?”

Little Ryan said, “Daddy said you were a self-made man.”

He beamed and said, “Of course I’m a self-made man.”

Little Ryan said, “Why did you make yourself like that?”

We are co-creators with God. God has given each one of us the beautiful, perfect way to go – all the skills and tools needed to achieve that desire in our hearts, which is intended to be expressed by us. But we need to take a step forward in our lives by making goals and allowing God to express through us, to create the life we really want.

Jesus tells us about the keys to the kingdom, in Matthew 6:24-36. Hear these beautiful words for you, particularly, if there is a thought in your mind today of anything that is out of order, or if you have a concern about your life. Jesus was specific when it came to giving us clear guidance as to what we can do and how our lives can be.

Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

We cannot focus on the life we desire to live – the success, happiness, joy, and beauty – and also serve other things; we cannot live a split life. We need to turn to one or the other. Jesus continued by saying:

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your span of life?

“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.”

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

As I looked at that word kingdom and began to meditate on it, I found that, to me, the kingdom was not necessarily a place off somewhere else. I discovered that the kingdom of God is a continuous spiritual journey. Daily we take the kingdom with us wherever we are.

Luke 17:21, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

It is an inner journey through prayer and meditation in which you make that conscious contact and really find that kingdom of God within.

That is where the kingdom truly is. That is what seeking the kingdom of God is about – looking within through prayer.

” … and his righteousness.” This is the right use, the full expression of God in every area of our lives – placing God first in your life. How many of us take the time every morning to turn our attention, our heart, and our love to God through prayer and meditation and action? Even just to say, Good morning, God. I am ready to go.” As we begin to take those steps forward, a beautiful response is found.

The kingdom of God is a spiritual journey that we can experience within every single day. Put your life on this continuous spiritual journey as you walk into the office each morning, and the phone will ring before you can even dial the number for the person you need to contact, or somebody will walk into your office and the answers will be there for you. That is putting God first and living in the kingdom.

In the kingdom of God, there are no religions. This is above the four walls of any church or the ways that we choose to separate ourselves as human beings. The kingdom is an umbrella that covers all people everywhere in God’s love. What people don’t realize is that we are living in the kingdom of God.

A great verbal prayer you can use is, “My heart is filled with God’s love and my body responds in health and wholeness.” I am going to say that again, because I want you to get a picture of the process. My heart is filled with God’s love … that comes first, and then my body responds in health and wholeness.

Jesus did not say to seek first to heal the body, or the emotional hurts, or to gain riches, and THEN seek God. He said, “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God.” Turn first to God, and then all else shall be added for each one of us.

The degree in which we place God first in our lives is directly proportional to the amount of ease, joy, and success we are seeking in our lives, to the degree that we allow our lives to flow out of God and our relationship to God, rather than trying to use God to “fix” our lives after we have done it our way. As we begin to turn to God and just ask, that radiant process is there to respond.

Finding God is easy; serving God is the challenge. Each one of us probably knows more about the Bible and God, intellectually, to keep us busy for an entire lifetime. However, if we have not placed God first in all areas of our lives, we are not serving God’s truth, and there is little joy in it.

Try to be how God would want you to be.

Open your hearts. Feel that presence and power of God. It is here right now in this precious moment. Live within the kingdom.

A minister tells a story, “A while ago I had an experience with some keys at an ocean resort. As we were fishing, casting out into the water, we were talking about how excited we were about life. We were having a wonderful day! The sun was shining, and the tide was way out. All the while I had my keys in my pocket.

All of a sudden, I looked down and the keys were gone. I want you to know, for a few moments, my joy was also gone because on that key ring were all of the keys of my life.

He said, I went home and ended up having to break a window to get into the house. Yet, a little voice, within me, kept saying, “Nothing is ever lost in God. The keys to kingdom are at hand.” Do you know what it is like to lose the keys in the ocean with the tide coming and going?

For the next few days as I was walking that beach, the message kept going around and around my head. You are in the kingdom of God.

As I was walking down the beach, quite some distance from where I had lost those keys, and as I was in awe of the beauty of the day, I saw the tide was way out. The beach was the most beautiful I had ever seen it. I was in the kingdom of God.

I was just rejoicing again and thanking God, when, all of a sudden, as one of the waves receded, I looked down and saw what looked like it might be the tip of a car key. I made a dash like you would not believe and grabbed (because the waves come in faster than you would believe); and there were my keys.

The keys to the kingdom are never lost! They are right there within you. As we let go and let God, they will be there for you in the moment you ask.

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” To know God and the operation of spiritual principles, take time for prayer and meditation.

Acknowledge God every morning when you awake. In fact, as we are starting this new week, you might even make a little mini checklist of where you are. Are you on track with your life purpose of letting God express through you and show you and guide you into that next arena for you to live and express in your life?

God relies the most on the ones who rely the most on God.

Take time to do that in your prayer and meditation. Then, develop a willingness to let go of those things, people, or situations that really are not productive in helping you accomplish that which you are seeking.

In John 4:35, Jesus said: “Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest?’ But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. Your field, your life, is already ripe for the harvest.” Right now, today, God’s good is yours. Are you ready to receive it? Can you see it clearly? Can you feel the energy, the presence of the Lord ready to guide you and lift you up?

The keys of the kingdom are at hand, and they are ready, right now, for you to open that spiritual door and live in a new realm of opportunities and possibilities.

No longer split your attention between worry and God. Give all attention to God, and you will find the true kingdom of heaven here on earth.

God bless you!

PRAYER / MEDITATION_______________________

I invite you to take a deep breath, relax, and feel the spiritual beauty in the silence of prayer.

Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place.

Dear God, we open our minds and hearts to you this day like little children, so eager to step out and see the world. Yet, as we enter into this new day, this new week, this land of opportunity, we are looking in a new direction – to see Your kingdom.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Like a little child, we, perhaps for a moment, think of our favorite fairy tales and what we had envisioned a kingdom to be – the knights in shining armor, the perfect, beautiful castle.

God, now in our wisdom, we know that God’s kingdom is spiritually within us; that perfect pattern, all the strength and all we have need of is right here, within us, within the temple of the living God. We feel the joy and the excitement as we think of our lives at the beginning of this new week the gateway to all possibility and opportunity given by God to us.

For a moment, I invite you to pray your deeply held desire. It might be in the area of healing – to be able to fully express the health and wholeness of God. Get in touch with that wonder and joy as you say, “Yes! I am a beloved, perfect, beautiful child of God. The fullness and allness of God expresses now, through me as the kingdom unfolds. Thank You, God.”

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Perhaps there is a dream, a vision that you are holding in prayer – that opportunity to fully express those talents and gifts given to you directly by God. Can you believe? Can you spiritually open the gift? God is here and that perfect pattern is now unfolding. For a moment, hold that vision, that heart’s desire. Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place. Feel that energy. Right now in this moment, the key is unlocking the door to that wonderful possibility.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

God, how grateful we are as we open our minds and hearts to Your radiant goodness. We are filled with Your perfect love with which we can give and fully express, to share the essence of what You are, with others. We have all the faith we need to shape and mold the lives we are intended to live, the strength we are seeking in this moment, as we are moving in new directions, and the wisdom with which to create goals toward the lives we would express, as Your beautiful children.

God, on this beautiful day, how grateful we are!

For a moment, again, we rest in the silence of prayer and feel Your presence and power responding to us in a very personal way, in the silence within, as we let go and let God …

Rest in the silence of prayer …

God, how grateful we are, for we know that, as Your beloved children, there is never a time when You are not there guiding and directing us. The keys to the kingdom are at hand, and God, we are ready to open that door today.

We are so grateful. We rejoice and say, “Thank You, God!”

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen.

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Christopher Ian Chenoweth

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30Nov

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Accepting the Good of God

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Accepting the Good of God

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I would like to share a story with you that is from PositiveChristianity.org written by its minister.

These are his words –

“In 1991 I went into to the Post Office. I put my key in my Post Office box (and I always pause for a minute because one of my favorite things to do is to receive mail), turned the key, and stuck my hand in.

“There was just one envelope inside. I pulled it out and looked at it. It looked official. On it was printed, ‘Official Notification. You are a major prize recipient!’

“I said, ‘Thank You, God. Publisher’s Clearing House is finally noticing me, after ALL this time!’

“I opened up the envelope and pulled out a letter from a resort property in southern Missouri. They said, ‘You have won! You have won a high-tech color television set.’

“I said to myself, ‘A high-tech color television set?’ I read on.

“It said, ‘Reverend, if you come down and visit our resort property and take a tour for ninety minutes, you can pick up your high-tech color TV.’

“I looked on the calendar and found a day; my day off, on Friday.”

“As I was thinking about going down to pick up my high-tech color TV, I thought perhaps I would need a pickup truck because it would be a big box. Then I thought, ‘Well, what if it rains?’ If it rains the box would get all wet in the back of the pickup truck and possibly ruin the TV inside. I thought if it might rain, I have a friend with a full-size station wagon. The station wagon was a Chevrolet Caprice; it came from the age before gas prices mandated downsizing. It was literally about 19 feet long and about 6 feet wide. With the seats down in back it looked like the interior of one of the jumbo cargo planes. I would ask this friend to go along with me. I thought we could put quite a big box in there, and if it were bigger, I could rent a U-Haul trailer. I’m open to possibilities.

“I went down in his full-sized station wagon (about a two-hour trip), and I toured the property. They were genuinely nice to me. At the end, the man said, ‘Now it is time. What have you won?’

“I said, ‘I’ve won a high-tech color television set.’

“He said, ‘Well, you can pick it up right over there,’ and he pointed to a small shed-like building with a small door. I’m wondering how in the world they got the high-tech color television set in there.

“Well, I shake the nice man’s hand, leave his car and go get the station wagon. I waited for about 20 minutes until all the cars had left the front of the small building so that I would have room for the mammoth Chevrolet Caprice station wagon to back up to the door. I backed it up to the door because I did not want to carry the television set box far. I open the lift gate and I think I can get it through the doorway if I tilt it just a certain way, and then I can slide most of the box right inside the station wagon. I go in, and the first thing I do is look for a high-tech color television set. I’m looking all around and I don’t see any big boxes.

“The nice lady behind the counter said to me, ‘Do you have your certificate?’

“I said, ‘Yes, I do, I said proudly. I have won a high-tech color television set.’

“She said, ‘Yes, you have! And because you’re here on Friday you’ve also won a bonus prize!’

“I said, ‘Great! Thank You God!’ I took several deep breaths, bringing the strength of God into me, because the excitement was almost too much for me to bear.

“Several others were coming in at that time and had to squeeze around, the Chevrolet Caprice to get through the open door. I apologized saying ‘I was there to help a large console color television set, and knew that I couldn’t carry it very far.’

“They all worked for the company, and they gave me the strangest stare!

“The lady took a small key and put it into a lock on a small drawer. She turned the key, opened the drawer, reached in and pulled out a box. She handed me a little box and I said, ‘What is this?’

“She said, ‘This is your high-tech color television set.’ No exaggeration, the box was four inches by seven inches and about an inch deep.

“I said in total shock, ‘That’s my color television set?’ In the meantime, I have the station wagon backed so close to the door that nobody can get into this place. Several people are looking through the door from the other side of the Chevrolet Caprice, trying to see what is happening.

“I’m holding this in the palm of my hand and she says, ‘Yes, there’s a color television in there.’ I thought when I opened it up that perhaps the directions to the warehouse would be in there to where I would go and pick up the huge box as big as this station wagon demanded.

“I open up the box and here is what was in it.

“A Casio television the size of a small transistor radio. It had a two-inch screen.

“I felt a little embarrassed. I moved that station wagon faster than anyone has ever moved a station wagon, and I acted cool, like I knew all along, it would be in a small box like this.

“She gave me a diamond watch, too. (That’s what it says. There is something in there that sparkles, so I guess it must be a diamond.) That was my bonus gift.

“I had to drive all the way home because my friend, the owner of the station wagon, was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face to a point that he couldn’t see.”

When it brings a smile to the face, that is one of the best gifts won in life.

“Behold, I am doing something new! It is already happening; don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” Isaiah 43:19

During the Depression, there was a gentleman who had been accustomed to great wealth. He lost everything in the Depression. He walked around in shock and kept saying over and over again, “I know there’s a way out of this. I know there’s a way.” He would even wake up at night and say, “I know there’s a way out of this.” He did not realize it, but he was saying a positive prayer affirmation. He was preparing his thinking in a spiritual way. He was giving of himself to God. He was not buying into what was happening in the world. He was buying into what could happen to him with God’s direction and help.

He was reading a newspaper one day, and noticed an article about millions of pounds of coffee being available in Brazil, but there was no market for it. There was no money to bring it over here, and over here, they wanted the coffee, but there was no money to get it here. He thought for a minute, “Well, there are millions of bushels of American wheat over here.” He realized that if he could get the two together in a trade, we would have coffee and they would have wheat. Through a couple of simple telephone calls, he started on his way back to making a fortune.

The key to life is circulation. The key to life is keeping things moving. You’ve heard the saying, “When things are tight, something has to give.” I change that to say, “When things are tight, someone has to give.”

In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

As humans, we have an incompleteness of vision. The clear vision is disclosed to you and me that in God, supply for any need you face, this morning, is instantaneous. No matter what your need, God is here to fulfill that need. But, to our human thinking, supply is progressive. We think we have to go through a series of events, from here to there, from point A to point Z, waiting for our supply to come.

We have a tremendous opportunity to realize, first of all, that in God, supply is instantaneous. In God, supply is infinite and instantaneous. To human thinking, it is progressive. Your available supply, in a practical sense, is measured by your spiritual lung capacity. It is measured by your ability to use it. We know that air is everywhere present, but we can only use that amount of air in front of us that we have the lung capacity to use. It is the same with supply.

In Matthew 13:12, Jesus says, “For those who have [a consciousness of supply] more will be given. They will have abundance. But those who have nothing [those who do not have a consciousness of the supply from God] even what they have will be taken away.”

Where does the demonstration of abundance begin? In demonstrating supply, the demonstration begins with the spiritual consciousness of supply. Do we really believe in God? Is our God big enough to handle our challenge?

What do you wish for in your life? What successes do you wish for? What kind of supply do you need? Is your God big enough to meet the need? Can you believe, in your spiritual consciousness, that it could be instantaneous?

In many places in our world today, there is apparent lack. But we know that this is just in that particular place. Somewhere else, there is all anyone could ever want. The problem with lack in the world is circulation – how to get those needs to those people, how to get that supply to the people who need it most.

The problem in our individual lives is always circulation.

Years ago, there was a man who owed many, many debts. He was frozen in his fears. He had some money, but he did not have enough to pay everybody. Therefore, he just sat frozen, filled with fear, because he did not know how to move.

What was said to him by the minister is that he was not living the law of circulation – giving and receiving. He had to get into a new relationship with supply. He was urged to go to his creditors, explain the situation, and offer to pay them a little, what he could, to start the payback, to get into the movement of circulation. Every one of those creditors was impressed with his integrity, and they helped him remain in business. He, ultimately, fulfilled his obligations and was on his way back in a big, big way to success.

So often, when the human mind cannot see its way completely through a problem, it is tempted not to act even upon what it can see because we can’t do all that we desire to do. Too often, we delay in doing anything at all.

Give what you can, and you can always give something. If you have no money, offer your services. Find some way to keep yourself in circulation.

The poor human is the shut-off human. It is the person who isolates himself or herself from life. Keep your contacts open with activity and circulation and supply, and never harp on your losses.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

In the Bible, the prophet asked a poor widow what she had in her house. She did not answer him directly; she told him what she lacked. She said, “Thy handmaiden hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil.”

When the disciples were asked what they had, they said, “Oh, Jesus, we don’t have anything. We just have five loaves and two fishes.” This is the consciousness of lack. It is the awareness of postponement. It is the awareness of delay.

Agree with God now. Do not say, “I will prosper when … ,” or “I will give when … “

Thank God for present supply, for what you can do now, for what you can give now. Now is the acceptable time. All things must begin when you begin.

Let me give you some guidelines to power-giving to jumpstart the law of circulation in your life.

#1. Attach no strings to your gifts.

So often, we receive a gift with a string attached to it. How did you like that gift when you received it? That is not a gift at all. Attach no strings to your gifts. Do not try to bargain or barter with God, because that is attaching a string to your gift with God. Give your gift of your services, your time, your money, with no strings attached. Here is an excellent motto: “I give as to the Lord.”

Emerson once said, “Have the courage to withhold what you can’t give without a blessing.”

#2. What is given in a grudging way, blesses neither the giver nor the receiver. As you give, you shall receive.

Here is what I’m talking about. You are paying a bill and saying, “That Electric Company is really, really robbing me this month.” What we link with our gift or payment becomes as real to our minds as something tangible in front of us, and it goes forth like an unseen messenger to represent us and to become identified with us. Unless we wish to attract lack, we should never stamp the thought of lack on any one of our disbursements.

#3. If a person says: “Sooner or later, my good always becomes manifest for me, but I’m tortured by many ‘eleventh hour’ deliverances of apparent want and anxious waiting,” what’s wrong?

God answers our prayers even before we ask. But if we are having interruptions, we need to give more regularly. We need to get into circulation in a more regular way. You wish, as I wish, that God will continuously give to us. Well, we must be about the Father’s business.

What is the Father’s business? The Father’s business is giving, sharing, and serving. Let us be as regular in our giving as we wish God to be in giving to us.

#4. How should we measure our giving? With what standards shall we compare our gifts?

Shall we give an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? Or should we give full measure, heaped up, pressed down, and running over?

Years ago there was a company that many of you are familiar with – A & P grocery stores. They were a major concern in the grocery industry because when you went in for a pound of coffee, instead of giving you sixteen ounces, they gave you seventeen ounces, on the Biblical principle of giving you more than you paid for. They stopped doing that and now the business is barely alive. Always go the extra mile, surprise people by giving more than they expected, and you will be rewarded with continuous, ever-expanding success.

The Biblical principles work in our lives. When we are paid our salaries, do we give more than we were paid for? We should. We should constantly give more and surprise the person on the other end. That is the law of success. It is a joy. It is the first half of manifest prosperity.

Let me quickly share with you the second half – receiving. Some of us are poor receivers.

I would like you to think of receiving in a new way. It is a joy to give. You all know that because you are giving people. But you also share the joy of giving when you receive. You must receive.

“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26

There was an elderly lady who hardly had any money at all. A minister helped that elderly lady by giving her a ride to church several times. The elderly lady got together her nickels and dimes and quarters and put together a love offering gift of $2.00 to the minister. She had great joy. She stumbled over her words and said, “Here. I want you to have this.”

The minister said, “No! What I did for you was a joy. I wanted to do it.”

The lady was crushed. She said, “Wait just a minute. You must not deny a like joy to me. I want you to allow me to give to you.”

The minister refused the poor woman’s gift, and within weeks the woman quit the church, refusing to ever come back.

The minister thought a lot about this realize that he robbed this woman the joy of being in circulation. The minister decided that he would never refuse another gift.

Here are the guidelines for receiving.

#1. We must not rob the giver in their joy of giving.

#2. We must prepare ourselves to receive by being receptive and appreciative.

#3. We must be grateful for little things to prepare for big things.

#4. God’s bounty and blessing will come to us through God’s messengers.

Friends, if you are praying for an answer to a problem, there will probably be someone new come into your life with the exact solution.

#5. We must be open to new people who bring us new ideas.

#6. Jesus said, “No one cometh unto God but by Me.” I say, “No one cometh unto me except by God.”

When a new person comes to you, expect good. Say, “God, thank You. I am so open to this new person coming to me.”

#7. We must be unselfish and let others have the more blessed joy of giving when it is their turn.

#8. We will accept the best.

Too often, especially those who are giving their lives to God, say, “Well, we don’t need the best. Second best will be fine.” The problem with this is that we put this out as a spiritual identity. Jesus constantly said to you, “Can you believe?”

In modern-day language that means, “Can you accept?” I am going to give you this idea on how to get this car, or home, or furniture, or a new career. If I give you the idea, can you accept it? Are you a good receiver of new and delightful ideas?

The last part is accepting God in a new and profound way, every moment of every day – being a receiver of God, realizing that we are not alone; we don’t have to do it alone; human mind does not have to do it alone. God is going to work through me when I work. God is going to bring talent to me. God is going to work in my body, and I am a perfect receiver of God.

Let us pray –

Today, in this moment, I give of myself, totally to God. I give of myself, totally to life, and I get into circulation. I am excited about receiving. I am complete because I give, and I receive. I will do so every moment of this day.

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen.

God bless everyone!

PRAYER / MEDITATION_________________________________

This ministry is for and about prayer. This ministry is for and about God’s love. This ministry is for and about personal power, power in the individual, by empowerment from God.

This is an appointed time of prayer that we are sharing together. In this moment we begin a spiritual journey that will lead us into new realms of life.

This life journey we are on is a sacred voyage.

Let us still our thoughts and open the portholes of our minds and hearts. We are here to praise God and praise the good in our lives.

In the calming presence of God, we enter into a time of perfect peace. We drift in a sea of tranquility, knowing that nothing can disturb us, for God is here. We relax and let go. We feel God’s love enfolding and uplifting us.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

We dwell in this peaceful, secure presence. Our hearts overflow with the peace and love of God. We find we are content knowing that all is well in our world. Before allowing our thoughts to move on, we pause in the end and give thanks for this serene, peaceful feeling.

Praise God for the love that sustains me! My heart is filled with peace.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Proverbs 4:18 states, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn.” As our journey continues, we thank God for the light that shines in and through us, to illumine our path. The wisdom and guidance of God lead us in ways of goodness. Our path becomes clear. We move forward with confidence in all that we do.

Our thoughts are clear, our actions wise, our judgment right in every situation we encounter. We give praise and thanksgiving for the Divine presence of God that leads us and directs us in perfect ways.

Praise God for the light that shines in me! I use good judgment.

Praise God with me for the light that shines in us. We use good judgment.

In our spiritual travels, we come to a place of wholeness – the realization of the human body as God created it to be. We feel an energizing power, rejuvenating every cell of our minds and bodies. A powerful, healing presence envelops us, and we know in our hearts, our minds, and our bodies that nothing can prevent us from experiencing the healing life of God.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

In this attitude of thanksgiving, we give thanks for miracles of God, we will see miracle upon miracle. God is in this place. God is working in this place. God is working in and through you, to heal you now.

Praise God for the life that invigorates you! You experience good health.

And now, in the silence of prayer, thank God for what is happening within your mind and body …

Our spiritual journey has blessed us with peaceful, guiding, healing thoughts that remind us of how prosperous we truly are! We hold thoughts of abundance, and we praise God for the answer to all our needs. Our hearts are filled with thanks for the many gifts God has given us, and we pray expecting continuing prosperity:

Praise God for the abundance that fills me! My needs are met.

Praise God for the abundance that fills me! My needs are met.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Our journey has been filled with joy, praise, and satisfaction, and we are ready to face our daily activities with renewed strength and enthusiasm. We praise God for this special spiritual time, and looking forward to future times of prayer and fellowship in complete faith we say thank You, dear God.

In Jesus Christ’s name we pray … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 1,000,000 every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

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GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

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