My Divine Notes

James 4:10 When you bow down before the Lord, and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. I need the Lord’s strength every second, every minute, every hour and every year of my life. I cannot do life without God. How do I know this? My history is witness to my “do-it-my-own-way” failures. Yet I still forget that I need God’s guidance every minute of my life. I can blame the culture, my profession and my lifestyle. Creative people aren’t known for being humble. We like to stand out – we want to be the best and we want to do it ourselves. But I have to make a conscious choice to depend on Christ. I can’t depend on God only when I worship, go to Bible study or in ministry to others. I must depend on God all the time! I have to make a conscious decision to humble myself before God continuously because the consequences are huge. I start depending on myself and my connection to God. My faith becomes about me – and not about what God wants to do through me. ...

October 26, 2011 Proverbs 19:17 Caring for the poor is lending to the Lord, and you will be well repaid. A thin, gaunt man wearing shorts (it’s still hot here) with giant tattoos on his arms and legs sat next to me on the bus this morning clutching a plastic bag. The bus stopped abruptly and I tipped over, narrowly missing his bag. I scooped it up and apologized. He replied, “Oh it’s just Ramen noodles.” I thought to myself, "‘Wow is that all he has for lunch?’" And then I heard the Lord say, “Give him your lunch.” I thought, "'What? Give him my good sandwich, chips, banana and 16 ounce Diet Dr. Pepper? He didn’t ask for my food!'" Then I heard the Holy Spirit say again, “Give him your lunch.” You have to understand that I am always willing to stop and talk to strangers who talk to me, but I don’t typically pull the lunch out of my bag and offer it to someone who hasn’t asked for it. But I did and it all happened in less than 15 second...

October 16, 2011 1 John 4:1 (GW) Dear friends, don't believe all people who say that they have the Spirit. Instead, test them. See whether the spirit they have is from God, because there are many false prophets in the world. Reading has always been my favorite thing, hobby and passion. Since I’ve come into a living and vital relationship with the Lord, an entire world of new learning has opened up to me. This includes an understanding of God’s Word – the Bible. As I explore the Bible and all the beliefs (religions, etc.), it has become so apparent to me that I must be careful what I allow to enter my mind. This is also vitally important because social media provides countless opportunities for exposure to alternative ways of thinking that disguise themselves as “Christian.” Beware of everything you see, hear or read. As the Holy Spirit opens my mind and heart to the truth of God’s Word as written in the Bible, I recently confirmed that a “religious” television program t...

Sept. 24, 2011 Psalm 101:3a (NLT) I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I like to share my notes and thoughts from sermons that really speak to me. Tonight I listened to a sermon by Pastor Joel Osteen about how important it is to guard our minds. I’ve previously written on this topic because changing what I put in my mind has transformed me and it has taken me to a deeper level in my spiritual walk. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means perfect, but I know that my choices impact my mind. How many of us have a relationship with God – yet we still live with filth coming from our mouth, heart and eyes? Television, movies, radio, the internet, video and all forms of popular media have the power to influence our mind and behavior. When we sit in front of the television for hours watching violence, it’s no surprise that we become violent people. There’s a generation of young people who have grown up with video games that promote violence in one way or another. It’s ...