Life Recovery Ministry | Using the Bible for recovery and significant life changes

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for sharing scriptures to me. I have decided to respond only to one of them, Hebrews 13:7. This is a continuation of the email you have already sent me (you are mentioned at the end, Ron).

Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do.

This reminds me of how Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's book called Enthusiasm Makes The Difference led me to pray for God's guidance that allowed the Holy Spirit to touch my life in 1973. I am also reminded how to maintain respect to those who shared the Word of God to lead me back to Him since I began my new recovery process on March 30th, 2003. My life has chnged more significantly in the past 24 months than all of the 56 years of my life previously. Something is going to happen in somebody's life who is reading this today.

The difference between vain pretences and real spiritual enlightenment.

The design of Christ in giving himself for us, is, that he may purchase to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; and true spiritual enlightenment is the strongest bond of friendship. Here are earnest exhortations to several Christian duties, especially contentment. The sin opposed to this grace and duty is covetousness, an over-eager desire for the wealth of this world, with envy of those who have more than ourselves. Having treasures in heaven, we may be content with mean things here. Those who cannot be so, would not be content though God raised their condition. Adam was in paradise, yet not contented; some angels in heaven were not contented; but the apostle Paul, though abased and empty, had learned in every state, in any state, to be content. Christians have reason to be contented with their present lot. This promise contains the sum and substance of all the promises.

For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

In the original there are no less than five negatives put together, to confirm the promise: the true believer shall have the gracious presence of God with him, in life, at death, and for ever. Men can do nothing against God, and God can make all that men do against his people, to turn to their good.

Do we want what our ego, self, puppets in our head, the committee, or whatever else we want to call the spirits not from God to lead our life today. I chose to read God's Words to gain a new direction in my life by following what God, or the Holy Spirit, was showing me in the scriptures. Wow! They changed my life. Those who know me, like my sponsor, Ron R., knows I am not doing what Bob Erb would have done 25 months ago. Bob is doing what God wants him to do today. And, Wow! What a feeling! All of us can have it as we follow His will in our own lives.

I think this is a good place to take a break to contemplate what these words mean in our lives. Thank you for sharing these mighty strong scriptures. God bless you and your family.

hi bob hello how are you this time hope your feling well as of me im fine stil serving God as our personal savior.i have lots of verses that i send to you hope you like it Duet. 3;16 Ps.27;1 2peter 3;18 1john;4;7-8 hebres 11;1 2timothy 2;15 2timothy 3;16-17 john 14;6 mathew 5;16 mathew 5;6 ps.119;105 james 4;6-10 james 2;26 1john 4;18 jude 1;19-25 hebrews 13;7 ecclesiastes 3;1-8 philipians 4;6 be make known unto God. ephesians 5;20 proberbs 18;22 prberbs 22;1 mathew 14;27 be of good cheer thank for you reading this vers hope you well be come happy dont stay aways from God be close to him. until here in christ JEAN God Bless you see you next email.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for your note. Thank you for thinking of the ministry God is leading me to do for Him. Thank you for sharing the Word of God.

and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

Trust in God commended.

There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often insnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich. But there is a carefulness about temporal things which is a duty, though we must not carry these lawful cares too far. Take no thought for your life. Not about the length of it; but refer it to God to lengthen or shorten it as he pleases; our times are in his hand, and they are in a good hand. Not about the comforts of this life; but leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as he pleases. Food and raiment God has promised, therefore we may expect them. Take no thought for the morrow, for the time to come. Be not anxious for the future, how you shall live next year, or when you are old, or what you shall leave behind you. As we must not boast of tomorrow, so we must not care for tomorrow, or the events of it. God has given us life, and has given us the body. And what can he not do for us, who did that? If we take care about our souls and for eternity, which are more than the body and its life, we may leave it to God to provide for us food and raiment, which are less. Improve this as an encouragement to trust in God. We must reconcile ourselves to our worldly estate, as we do to our stature. We cannot alter the disposals of Providence, therefore we must submit and resign ourselves to them. Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world. Seek first the kingdom of God, and make striving to know Him your business: say not that this is the way to starve; no, it is the way to be well provided for, even in this world. The conclusion of the whole matter is, that it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that by daily prayers we may get strength to bear us up under our daily troubles, and to arm us against the temptations that attend them, and then let none of these things move us. Happy are those who take the Lord for their God, and make full proof of it by trusting themselves wholly to his wise disposal. Let thy Spirit convince us of sin in the want of this disposition, and take away the worldliness of our hearts.

hi bob Greatings inmost prisiuose name of our Lord jesus christ whomwe love and served till he come i just read your email for menow iknow your in the menistry at this time your in lasbegas right okey im still pray for your work by God Grace you will become sucses dont stay away from God still close to him thats a secret you become suses thank you and God Bless you see you next email pls, read this mathew.6;33 but seek ye first the kingdom of God and hisrighteusnes and all this thing shall be added anto you.bye jeanh

In any case, I have used the New Living Translation for most of the passages, and written my commentary based upon the way you sent them to me and seeing how they can be use in a life recovery process or 12 step program.

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.

Christ's sermon on the mount.

None will find happiness in this world or the next, who do not seek it from Christ by the rule of his word. He taught them what was the evil they should abhor, and what the good they should seek and abound in.

We cannot experience God-blessed recovery without true humility. Pride often stands in the way of our dealing with painful problems and a destructive dependency. If we cannot admit our problems and sins, there can be no real cure for us. When we humble ourself before God, we mourn and grieve over our mistakes and losses. As we do this, we will experience the wonderful comfort that only God can offer. God has shown me that we can only begin to get to this point if our bodies do not need to think about how we are going to eat today. After the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry provides food and drink for the body, it can then begin to help those who it serves to gain equal rights under the law and in accordance with the Bible. I am confident I am doing what God has in mind for me to do for Him. This scripture confirms my mission. What is your mission? What is each of our missions? God will show us as we read His Words each day.

Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands.

The word of God directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit, as a light to direct us in the choice of our way, and the steps we take in that way. The keeping of God's commands here meant, was that of a sinner under a dispensation of mercy, of a believer having part in the covenant of grace. The psalmist is often afflicted; but with longing desires to become more holy, offers up daily prayers for quickening grace. We cannot offer any thing to God, that he will accept but what he is pleased to teach us to do. To have our soul or life continually in our hands, implies constant danger of life; yet he did not forget God's promises nor his precepts. Numberless are the snares laid by the wicked; and happy is that servant of God, whom they have not caused to err from his Master's precepts. Heavenly treasures are a heritage for ever; all the saints accept them as such, therefore they can be content with little of this world. We must look for comfort only in the way of duty, and that duty must be done. A good man, by the grace of God, brings his heart to his work, then it is done well.

He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

    "God sets himself against the proud,
       but he shows favor to the humble."
  (7) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. (9) Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. (10) When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

Most of us have a hard time modeling submission and humility - qualities that are essential to the recovery process (and hearing the voice of God) because they show dependence on God and a willingness to be guided by Him. Satan's pride - and our adoption of it - opposes God's program for healthy and godly living. As many of us know from experience, the way of pride and selfishness only leads to confusion and strife. True contentment comes only when we submit our life to God and His program. As we admit our failures and humbly seek to do God's will, we will draw closer to God. As we draw close to God, the grip of our dependency will weaken, and He will lift us up to rebuild our life. As Paul said to the Church in Philippi, (chapter 2 verse 3-4):

Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. (4) Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

This shows us the way to become humble: help others. The Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry is a direct results of God showing me how to be humble. How is He showing you? How is He showing all of us?

God the Holy Spirit teaches us to be willing to do good to all about us, as we are able. The grace of God will correct and cure the spirit by nature in us; and where he gives grace, he gives another spirit than that of the world. The proud resist God: in their understanding they resist the truths of God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they resist the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists the proud. How wretched the state of those who make God their enemy! God will give more grace to the humble, because they see their need of it, pray for it are thankful for it, and such shall have it. Submit to God,. Submit your understanding to the truth of God; submit your wills to the will of His precept, the will of His providence. Submit yourselves to God, for He is ready to do you good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but if we put on the whole armor of God, and stand out against him, he will leave us. Let sinners then submit to God, and seek His grace and favor; resisting the devil. All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himself before him.

Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

Faith, the cornerstone of recovery, needs to be accompanied by action. Some of us may have found it easy to admit we needed God's help, but when called upon to actively prove our faith, we refused. We all have made commitments that we failed to back up with our actions. James left us this powerful reminder in 2:17:

So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.

If we believe in the principles of recovery but refuse to act upon them, we are not in recovery. If we believe God can help us but refuse to obey His will, we prove that our faith is dead. True faith in God expresses itself in committed actions; our actions need to back up our words if we want to succeed in recovery.

I think this is a good place to take a break to contemplate what these words mean in our lives. Thank you for sharing these mighty strong scriptures. God bless you and your family.

Most Precious Lord Jesus, Gentle And Wonderful God, Truly Awesome And Ever-present Holy Spirit,
Precious Lord Jesus, I love you.
Thank you for making me into a living breathing person.
Thank you for bringing me into the world.
There are times when I have bounced from one purpose in life to another, never fully knowing or recognizing where I fit in or where I should go.
There are times when I have no idea what specific things you want me to do.
There are times when I have no idea where you want me to go in terms of a specific address or location.
There are times I have lost sight of my purpose upon the earth.
I have often confused my purpose in life with my job, my roles, my hobbies, my interests, and my relationships.
In your will, please clear out the fog preventing me from seeing my purpose in life and show me my real purpose is to love you with all my heart, all my mind, and all my soul.
In your will, please clear out the fog preventing me from seeing my purpose in life and show me my purpose is to love others as myself.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, my Mighty God, and my Ever-present Holy Spirit upon whom I can rely.
Amen

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. I believe this prayer will change somebody's life today.

PLEASE PRAY THIS EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!!

You never know when GOD is going to bless you!! Good things happen when
you
least expect them to!!

Dear Lord,

      I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an
understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought
that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

      Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

      Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And it's the best
response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray. You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the
weak... Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.

      I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't
know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes people and God changes things.

      I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I
pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it. It is in Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

God Bless!!!!!!!!!!!

Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves!! God I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.

With Love

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for sharing a bunch of scriptures to me. Whenever someone sends me scriptures, I pray about them and write comments how they touch my heart. Then I send them to all who might have an interest in them. I started to send them to about 10 friends, but now, I sometimes send them to as many as 250 who have suggested some kind of interest in some way.

And to the tribes of Reuben and Gad I gave the area extending from Gilead to the middle of the Arnon Gorge, all the way to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier.

I don't know why you suggested this verse, but I am thinking you may have meant a different book. This verse just defines that part of Israel that those families of the sons of Jacob were to control. In all cases, praise the Lord for giving us His Word.

The LORD is my light and my salvation--
so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger--
so why should I tremble?

As David was writing this song, he is seeing God providing him with all the power and confidence he needs to continue his struggles while Saul and the countries he is surrounded by are trying to attack him. As the world attracts us, we can know that God is giving us the same provisions He gave David, light and salvation. God has given us Jesus to show how us material humans can see a new way of life in worshiping Him as Jesus worshiped the mighty Father God. Jesus then acts as the light and our salvation. If we focus on what Jesus might do, then we might be doing what God wants us to do. If God is guiding our lives, then there is nothing we need to fear, God has the power to combat all things, just as He gave David the power to beat the enemy. We can beat the enemy, the devil, the carnal world, the natural world, the lies our culture tells us what success is, our own ego, our committee or puppet in our head, or whatever we want to call that which is not from God. Praise the Lord.

But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This verse is instructing us to keep serving others and reading the Bible to gain the special knowledge of how Jesus served others. Just as Jesus never glorified himself while on earth (but others did), we need to be careful of always giving the glory to Jesus and to Father God as Jesus did. This is actually a prayer asking for the power to get closer to Jesus and to always honor His existence in our lives. His existence in our lives will become evident as we serve others always thinking how Jesus would do it. We live in a world that encourages and rewards our active lifestyle. We are doers and fixers, arrangers and controllers. We seek to bolster our own sense of self-esteem by the things we do. When Christ returns, however, who we are will be far more important than what we do. Peter reminds us that as we wait for this day, we are called to be God's people. It is good to take time to ask, Are we enjoying the privilege of being? In all our doing, have we lost sight of what's important - the kind of persons we are, and the persons we are becoming? Are we becoming like Jesus? De we have adequate knowledge of what Jesus was like? Has the Holy Spirit moved into our lives? Praise the Lord.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (8) But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love.

Love is God. God is love. Wow! Let's focus on what love is. As we focus on love, we are focused on God. As we focus on God, we are focused on love. Everything Jesus teaches us is to focus on God and to repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. We are being harvested as members of the Kingdom of Heaven as we focus on love, by repenting of our errors. If we desire to be disciples of Christ, then we need to be doing the same things Jesus did while He was on this earth. The only way we can know Him and His love is to read God's Word and experience the Holy Spirit in our lives. What a gift. Praise the Lord.

Cautions us against deceivers.

We Christians who are well acquainted with the Scriptures, may, in humble dependence on Divine teaching, understand those who set forth doctrines according to the apostles, and those who contradict them. The sum of revealed religion is in the doctrine concerning Christ, His person and office. The false teachers spoke of the world according to its maxims and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men. The world approved them, they made rapid progress, and had many followers such as themselves; the world will love its own, and its own will love it. The true doctrine as to the Saviour's person, as leading men from the world to God, is a mark of the spirit of truth in opposition to the spirit of error. The more pure and holy any doctrine is, the more likely to be of God; nor can we by any other rules try the spirits whether they are of God or not. And what wonder is it, that people of a worldly spirit should cleave to those who are like themselves, and suit their schemes and discourses to their corrupt taste? Praise the Lord for giving us special knowledge.

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.

Faith always has been the mark of God's servants, from the beginning of the world. Where the principle is planted by the regenerating Spirit of God, it will cause the truth to be received, concerning justification by the sufferings and merits of Christ. And the same things that are the object of our hope, are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all he has promised to us in Christ. This persuasion gives the soul to enjoy those things now; it gives them a subsistence or reality in the soul, by the first-fruits and foretastes of them. Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye. It is a full approval of all God has revealed, as holy, just, and good. This view of faith is explained by many examples of persons in former times, who obtained a good report, or an honorable character in the word of God. Faith was the principle of their holy obedience, remarkable services, and patient sufferings. The Bible gives the most true and exact account of the origin of all things, and we are to believe it, and not to wrest the Scripture account of the creation, because it does not suit with the differing fancies of men. All that we see of the works of creation, were brought into being by the command of God. Praise the Lord.

Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

Paul told Timothy to work hard to receive God's approval by diligently studying God's Word to discover God's will for him in both attitude and action. We cannot know God's will unless we know what the Bible says. Since recovery is dependent upon our following God's will, we need to study His Word to discover how God wants us to live. This will enable us to follow His instructions for rebuilding our broken life. Praise the Lord.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. (17) It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

Paul reminded Timothy of the wonderful resource that God has left us - the Bible. It is the ultimate guide to help us realize what is wrong in our life. It is the only accurate measuring tool available to help us make an honest moral inventory. It reveals God's program for healthy living and shows us how to relate properly and unselfishly to God and to other people. God's Word offers more than just good advice. It promises God's powerful help to all who turn to Him with a humble heart. Our recovery will benefit when we take the time to understand it and apply it to our life. Praise the Lord for His precious Words.

Those who would learn the things of God, and be assured of them, must know the Holy Scriptures, for they are the Divine revelation. The age of children is the age to learn; and those who would get true learning, must get it out of the Scriptures. They must not lie by us neglected, seldom or never looked into. The Bible is a sure guide to eternal life. The prophets and apostles did not speak from themselves, but delivered what they received of God, 2 Peter 1:21. It is profitable for all purposes of the Christian life. It is of use to all, for all need to be taught, corrected, and reproved. There is something in the Scriptures suitable for every case. Oh that we may love our Bibles more, and keep closer to them! then shall we find benefit, and at last gain the happiness therein promised by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the main subject of both Testaments. We best oppose error by promoting a solid knowledge of the word of truth; and the greatest kindness we can do to children, is to make them early to know the Bible.

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

Faith in Jesus is the only way to truly know God and receive the meaningful life that God wants for each of us. Despite living with Jesus for many months, Thomas and Philip did not yet know God through His Son, Jesus. Many people know about God and Jesus Christ, but they don't know God personally. Genuine faith is personal and relational and based upon the truths about God found in Scripture, not what we think we know. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life for anyone going through recovery. He has the power to forgive our sins, help us overcome our addiction, and give us a new life. By believing in Christ as the Mediator between God and man, we gain comfort. He is the Truth, as fulfilling all the prophecies of a Saviour; believing which, sinners come by him the Way. He is the Life, by whose life-giving Spirit the dead in sin are quickened. Nor can any man draw nigh God as a Father, who is not quickened by Him as the Life, and taught by Him as the Truth, to come by Him as the Way. By Christ, as the Way, our prayers go to God, and his blessings come to us; this is the Way that leads to rest, the good old Way. He is the Resurrection and the Life. All that saw Christ by faith, saw the Father in Him. Praise the Lord.

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

In the verses just preceding this are the Beatitudes. Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which works true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances. Praise the Lord.

I could keep going, but I will rest here and send this portion back to you and others. I will respond to the others in as God leads me. God bless you and your family.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Below is the bulletin for tonights services on the beach.

I have been begging for volunteers so that I can take a vacation, since it has been almost 2 years I have been working for God in this ministry. I need a break. I was not going to go unless I had someone who could do this, but even the web page requests and all the memos and speeches I have made have not provided someone to help me to serve regularly. So, I guess the folks on Waikiki will have to do what they did before the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry came into being. I will be going to Las Vagas to help a friend, and the first volunteer of Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry, with her house construction from March 8 till April 12, 2005. Unless someone surfaces, those contributions and volunteers that are presently doing something will need to postpone their assistance for that period in the month. I will share more information as it becomes available.

"All eyes look to you for help; you give them their food as thy need it." Ps. 145:15

FREE DINNERat or by Waikiki Beach Snack Bar at Queens Beach (nearby the Aquarium)

What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains? With one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesnt change. Your circumstances dont change. Your schedule isnt altered. Your problems arent solved. Only one change occurs.

What if, for one day and one night, Jesus lives your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? Your familywould they see something new? Your coworkerswould they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christs heart than from yours?

And you? How would you feel? What alterations would this transplant have on your stress level? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you see sunsets differently? Death differently? Taxes differently? Any chance youd need fewer aspirin or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? (Ouch, that touched a nerve.) Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing?

Would you still do what you had planned to do for the next twenty-four hours? Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Outings. Appointments. With Jesus taking over your heart, would anything change?

Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to "think and act like Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

Gods plan for you is nothing short of a new heart. If you were a car, God would want control of your engine. If you were a computer, God would claim the software and the hard drive. If you were an airplane, hed take his seat in the cockpit. But you are a person, so God wants to change your heart.

"But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like Godmade to be truly good and holy" (Eph. 4:2324).

Im going to risk something here. Its dangerous to sum up grand truths in one statement, but Im going to try. If a sentence or two could capture Gods desire for each of us, it might read like this:

God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Dont confuse Gods love with the love of people. The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with Gods love. He loves you right where you are. To quote my wifes favorite author:

Gods love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesnt love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. Gods love never ceases.

When my daughter Jenna was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt.

Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.

God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, honey," our Father urges. "Ive got something better for you." And so he cleanses us of filth: immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We dont enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. "I can eat dirt if I want to!" we pout and proclaim. Which is truewe can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer. He wants us to be just like Jesus.

Isnt that good news? You arent stuck with todays personality. You arent condemned to "grumpydom." You are tweakable. Even if youve worried each day of your life, you neednt worry the rest of your life. So what if you were born a bigot? You dont have to die one.

Where did we get the idea we cant change? From whence come statements such as, "Its just my nature to worry," or, "Ill always be pessimistic. Im just that way," or, "I have a bad temper. I cant help the way I react"? Who says? Would we make similar statements about our bodies? "Its just my nature to have a broken leg. I cant do anything about it." Of course not. If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldnt we do the same with our hearts? Shouldnt we seek aid for our sour attitudes? Cant we request treatment for our selfish tirades? Of course we can. Jesus can change our hearts. He wants us to have a heart like his.

The heart of Jesus was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women (Luke 8:13), yet never accused of lustful thoughts; scorned by his own creation, but willing to forgive them before they even requested his mercy. Peter, who traveled with Jesus for three and a half years, described him as a "lamb, unblemished and spotless" (1 Pet. 1:19 nasb). After spending the same amount of time with Jesus, John concluded, "And in him is no sin" (1 John 3:5 niv).

Jesus heart was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but not Jesus. He lifted his hand to heal. His heart was at peace. When his disciples abandoned him, did he pout and go home? When Peter denied him, did Jesus lose his temper? When the soldiers spit in his face, did he breathe fire in theirs? Far from it. He was at peace. He forgave them. He refused to be guided by vengeance.

He also refused to be guided by anything other than his high call. His heart was purposeful. Most lives aim at nothing in particular and achieve it. Jesus aimed at one goalto save humanity from its sin. He could summarize his life with one sentence: "The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10 rsv). Jesus was so focused on his task that he knew when to say, "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4) and when to say, "It is finished" (John 19:30). But he was not so focused on his goal that he was unpleasant.

Quite the contrary. How pleasant were his thoughts! Children couldnt resist Jesus. He could find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He would spend days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes.

But the crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. "I am in the Father and the Father is in me," he stated (John 14:11). His first recorded sermon begins with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Luke 4:18 nasb). He was "led by the Spirit" (Matt. 4:1 niv) and "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1 niv). He returned from the desert "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14 niv).

Jesus took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship (Luke 4:16). It was his practice to memorize scripture (Luke 4:4). Luke says Jesus "often slipped away to be alone so he could pray" (Luke 5:16). His times of prayer guided him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city (Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples (Luke 6:1213). Jesus was led by an unseen hand. "The Son does whatever the Father does" (John 5:19). In the same chapter he stated, "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told" (John 5:30).

Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is purposeful; we are distracted. He is pleasant; we are cranky. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?

Ready for a surprise? You already do. You already have the heart of Christ. Why are you looking at me that way? Would I kid you? If you are in Christ, you already have the heart of Christ. One of the supreme yet unrealized promises of God is simply this: if you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has made your heart his home. It would be hard to say it more succinctly than Paul does: "Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20 msg).

At the risk of repeating myself, let me repeat myself. If you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has moved in and unpacked his bags and is ready to change you "into his likeness from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor. 3:18 rsv). Paul explains it with these words: "Strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16 tlb).

Strange is the word! If I have the mind of Jesus, why do I still think so much like me? If I have the heart of Christ, why do I still have the hang-ups of Max? If Jesus dwells within me, why do I still hate traffic jams?

Part of the answer is illustrated in a story about a lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century. She was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. The people were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home.

Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her door. He asked if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was. "Im wondering if you can explain something to me," he said. "Your meter shows scarcely any usage. Are you using your power?"

"Certainly," she answered. "Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off."

Shes tapped into the power but doesnt use it. Her house is connected but not altered. Dont we make the same mistake? We, toowith our souls saved but our hearts unchangedare connected but not altered. Trusting Christ for salvation but resisting transformation. We occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for shadows.

What would happen if we left the light on? What would happen if we not only flipped the switch but lived in the light? What changes would occur if we set about the task of dwelling in the radiance of Christ?

No doubt about it: God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation: "He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son" (Rom. 8:29 msg).

"You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God" (Col. 3:10).

God is willing to change us into the likeness of the Savior. Shall we accept his offer? Here is my suggestion. Lets imagine what it means to be just like Jesus. Lets look long into the heart of Christ. Lets spend some chapters considering his compassion, reflecting upon his intimacy with the Father, admiring his focus, pondering his endurance. How did he forgive? When did he pray? What made him so pleasant? Why didnt he give up? Lets "fix our eyes on Jesus" (Heb. 12:2 niv). Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.

"Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."colossians 3:13 tlb

A HEART LIKE HIS

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Romans 5:18 "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Confessing to God that I am a sinner, and believing that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died for my sins on the cross and was raised for my justification, I do now receive and confess Him as my personal Savior. I am willing to turn my will and my life over to God, to do His will, starting today. Lord, help my unbelief. Amen

Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

Closing Remarks and Prayer (hearing the voice of the Lord from the mouths of men, from the Bible, from my intuition, consciousness, still small voice within)