You Belong!

"Worthy" has never been connected to or controlled by our conduct good or bad. One of my most loved parts about the way Jesus about His Dad's affection is the point at which the child returns home and says, " I have sinned and am no more qualified to be called your son."

Also, the Father doesn't even comment on his words! He declines to offer energy to the untruth that the child  is unworthy of being cherished on account of the things he had done.

He spoke the truth, the reality that God saw him deserving of adoration as a result of who he was. Regardless of the possibility that it cost Him everything including His own life.

The message of Jesus, is that God our Dad sees us deserving of adoration and everything great even as He sees us in the most exceedingly terrible of our dimness, visual impairment, perplexity, and damaging activities. He sees it all-the entirety of your [biography](http://richnickel.com) you hope no one ever sees with all or thinks about you-and takes a long look at THAT Individual and says, " you are the offspring of my enjoyment. You are deserving of all my affection and worship. You are forgotten, protected, held, and known. You have a place here.

Don't Over Think It!

One of the best things I've learned in life is to obey God rapidly. At the point when God requests that you do it, do it right then. At the time when God advised David to go face Goliath, the Bible says David hurried to the front line. Do you know why?

In the event that David would have considered it sufficiently long, he would have talked himself out of it. In the event that he had gone over every one of the realities, figures, how much greater Goliath was, the amount more experience he had, David would have lost his strength and missed his fate.

At the point when God requests that you do something, don't overanalyze it. Try not to reason it out. Looking at the situation objectively too long, you can miss your fate. Try not to think, "Why would it be a good idea for me to purchase their supper? They have more than I do." Or "Why would it be a good idea for me to apologize? I apologized first last time." Or, "Why would it be advisable for me to regard them? They're not regarding me."

No, quit rationalizing. Stopped thinking it out. Stop believing that you heard God wrong and take care of business. Figure out how to rush to obey and open the entryway for the gift God has in store for you!

Father, I decide to obey You rapidly. I assume that You are great and craving great things for me. Much thanks to You for requesting my strides. Much obliged to You for ensuring me. Much obliged to You doing a work in me and through me in Jesus' name. So be it.

"… To obey is better than sacrifice… " (1 Samuel 15

Are You In Your Zone!!!!!

  I hear it said so often, "I want to be doing what that person is doing."   We all have these people in our lives, the people that seem to accel at everything.  It doesn't matter weather its sports, or academia.  They seem to always score the points or get straight A's.  But for those of us that are average, we seem to look at people that are achieving their goals and we are envious.
I would suggest a better question.   What if you asked "what should I be doing?"  We all need people we look up to, goals to shoot for, dreams to chase.   But why would we want someone else's dream?  Why would I want someone else's dream, when I don't know if I can fulfill their dream.  I was not designed to fulfill their dream, to reach their goals.
I would challenge you,  get in your zone.  Do what you have been called to do.  Look at other people, learn from other people, but live to your potential, realize your dreams!

Reinhardt Bonkke Gospel Crusade in Houston TX

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26 NKJV)
The devil wants to replace the image of God in us and replace it with his own image.
He sledgehammers away at the image of God in us. Sickness, addictions...blow after blow.
He's a destroyer, thief, murderer.
He hammers us beyond recognition.
When God asks, "Adam, where are you?" He was saying..."Adam, you might can do without me, but I cannot do without you!"
Our Creator became our redeemer because He was not okay with the enemy delivering blow after blow to His image in us. He bought us back.

Put That Chin Up!!!

Someone out there would trade your bad day for theirs in a heart beat... so get thankful! No time for hanging your head and having yourself a little pity part. You're better then that stuff...

It's Either To Hot, Or To Cold!

The other day I found myself think of a few things I had to do outside.  Where I live it’s winter right now,  40 Degrees Fahrenheit.  I said to myself “it’s to cold to do that”  you know, In a way that was complaining.  I then took stock of the normal temperature in Houston Texas…. Troubling.   It’s more often hot here then it is cold.

If the conditions are never right to move forward… then maybe it’s not the conditions that are the problem.   There is something for having an optimistic outlook in every situation.   A can do attitude about the opportunities in front of you or the obstacles in front of you. 

It’s a season to where a jacket, rather than swim shorts!  Enjoy it! Don’t let the cold be an excuse, but rather an opportunity to experience something new and different.

It will be unbearably hot before you know it!

Living From Victory!

Every day we make choices, what clothes we are going to wear, what cereal we are going to eat for breakfast. My personal favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch by the way.  We also have a choice to make about how we see ourselves.  Do we see ourselves through eyes of failure? Always messing things up. Guilt and shame from things we have done in the past. Are we going to spend our lives being the same old person?  Or even more frustrating... is it only going to get worse? Is that thing I struggle with only going to be a bigger problem for me in the future? Maybe you’re tired of being mean to people but you can't break the cycle.

Have you ever bought a car? Cars that have been damaged badly and then repaired have what they call a "salvage" title. It alerts potential buyers to be aware that this car was so badly damaged, that it was destined for the scrap yard to be discarded. But someone bought it back and fixed it. It will always have problems, it will never be right. It has a "salvage" title.

Many Christians think that this is their lot in life. They were damaged goods and Jesus came along and cleaned them up.  But, they will always be damaged goods. They will always have a "salvage" title.

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he explains to them that if they have come to Jesus, they are new creations.  That's right NEW CREATIONS!  The old things are gone and the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old you is dead and Jesus has made you a new creation.  His payment was not just powerful enough to remove sin and reconcile you to himself.  But to make you brand new and fill you with Himself.  To take that wrecked car and makes it show room new again. 

You can’t afford to see yourself any other way than the way Jesus sees you!

He has made you to live from His victory.

You are powerful

You say “no” when temptation comes

You are a whole person

You react to heaven, not your circumstances

You were God's original idea, God doesn't have bad ideas

You are a prince/princess

Jesus trusts you

You are a son/daughter of God

You choose to live from His victory