Wednesday, September 17, 2008

• Don't think: What is the least I can do to pass school? Instead, we ought to think: How can I be better in my school work?
• Think prosperous, victorous thoughts!

2. Critical thoughts

• If you are nit-picking all the time, there will be no joy in your life.

3. Negative thoughts

• Thinking the worst about people all the time.
• We need to remove the thought that God is waiting to punish us!

We are much greater on the inside than ont he outside because we have the Holy Spirit with us.

We need to change the way we think about:

A. Who we are in God

• Matt 14:25-32 "if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" - why did Paul say that?
• Let's look back into history.
• 1st level of education - Beit Sefer (first 5 books of the Bible) House of books.
• 2nd level of education - Beit Talmund (rest of the books) House of learning.
• 3rd level of education - Beit Midrash (learn from the Rabi)
• The best of the best, will be chosen by the Rabi with the words "come, follow me".
• When Jesus said "come, follow me", the apostles immediately followed Him. This availability meant that they were not under any Rabi and were not the cream of the crop.
• Every Rabi has his own interpretation of the Bible, called the yoke. When Jesus said that His yoke is light, He was speaking that as a Rabi.
• When the apostles knew that they could cast out demons, they were excited because they knew that they were becoming like Jesus.
• Paul was thinking: If my Rabi could do this, I can do that too. When the winds came, he was not doubting Jesus - Jesus was standing on the water in front of him! - he was doubting himself.
• The Rabi will not choose those who he believes is not worthy. .: As much as we have faith in God, He has faith in us! We have tremendous faith to do change in the world!

B. What is important to God

• We can be busy doing the good things that we miss out the best.
• Story of the boy, his shells, and a starfish. From here.
  
  "I close with a story from Rob Bell I just heard this week. He tells of a time when he was walking on the beach with his wife and two boys. The boys were picking up seashells along the beach and carrying them. Suddenly, the older son saw a huge starfish floating in the ocean. He ran out in the water to get it, went about up to his knees and then came running back. He was crying, and his family encouraged him to go get the starfish. He ran out again, seeking the big prize, and got about waist high in the water, closer to the starfish, but then came running back again. Encouraged by his family, he made a third trip out, got right up next to his prize, but came crying back without it. His family could not understand why he had returned without it. In tears, as he held up both of his fists clenching all that he had picked up along the beach, he replied, "I couldn't get it, because my hands are full of shells."

C. Our giving to God

• Do we really care for the poor and needy?
• What is the reason behind the giving?
• We should tithe not forgetting the needy.
• More than anything else, God wants our hearts.
• Psalms 50 God says, if I were hungry, I will not tell you.
• Cor We should give what we have decided to give in our hearts.
• If you know the thoughts of God, you will know your future.
• Work WITH God, not against God!

Leaving a foot step - 9:32 AM