A New Season; Encourage Yourself in the LORD
For too long we have been knocked down by difficulties in Health, Relationships and Vocations-Finances.
One of the greatest skills a Christian can have is like David did in the Psalms, encourage himself in the LORD.
You cannot depend on others to do it for you all the time.
There comes a time when you must master the ability to do it for your self.
The LORD is there always to strengthen us and encourage us and we can go to Him when we just don't feel like we have it in us to go on.
Where is there to go but up sometimes? The LORD said we would have tribulation in this life but if you cannot be your own best coach so-to-speak, you will remain in a life of failure and defeat.
And you must cast off the crutches of anything you are using to deal with the trials of life.
Yes, I am talking about addictive substances, whatever they may be, even food and the tastes that you crave to assuage your depression. You must go to the Bible and see what it says about life.
My favorites are the Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. You can always go there and get a jumpstart because David and others describe how they felt about circumstances and we can relate!
Light a fire under yourself! Remind your self of what God has called you to accomplish in this lifetime and do it daily!
Also this week I will address the topic of NOT COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHERS! STOP doing it! You have a separate journey and are called to great things your self if you will just start doing them...
Love-
Brion
When the Way Isn't Clear, Thank Him for Godly Counsel
All these surrounding us CAN make a difference in how we think, work through problems, get direction, etc.
How many times have you been in a dilemma and something someone said, or a song or something that came from a source that was part of your positive environment, gave you an idea, reaffirmed another ideas, something gestating, etc.
You've got to be proactive about this. This making it a point to proactively surround yourself with positive resource.
I purposely try & spend a majority of time when working or driving w/positive Contemporary Inspirational radio on or listening to, what I cal, a "positive confessions/declarations" CD...It alone can get the day headed in the right direction.
And who can thank God enough for the Pastor who really listens for what the LORD might say to His people. And to have a transforming experience in church EVERY Sunday!
All these things we are thankful for....
thanks for listening...
Bro Brion
info@brionconnolly.com
Short & to the point regarding Adversity
This is not the time to quit.
Just when it looks the worst, it can turn around in an instant.
Funny how life works that way some times...
HANG IN THERE...
Believe me...I know...
Bro. Brion Connolly
brion@brionconnolly.com
Discovering Your Destiny
presumptive life plan accomplished by force
w/o regard for the need to be flexible in life as to
what the LORD may want from you on a daily basis in other words
how he may change your presumptive plans based on the unfolding of His perfect will
So...the only answer is
To get a vision on the inside of you from Him
move toward it as best you can and
stay open to His daily will being accomplished and
how he may create
divine appointments for you to
take advantage of
OPPORTUNITY
there's old motivational saying that.
Success is where PREPARATION meets OPPORTUNITY...
Let's be thankful and worship the Christ child this holiday season 2011
Footnote:
We will be taking an indefinite break now from Christian blogging to focus on business and statesmanship and
the attainment of a law degree in late 2014.
God bless all and
Thanks for reading/checking in.
Love in Christ-
Rev. Brion T. Connolly
Nashville, TN
late November 2011
Tribute to Missionaries
How to Find God's Will and Fulfill Your God-Given Destiny
There are 2 main areas that my teaching cover: How to Find's God's Will for Your Life by mastering relationships and resources and Impact the 4 Main Arenas of Life: Spiritual, Political, Financial & Cultural.
You will be better able to find God's will for your life and fulfill your God-given destiny by mastering 2 major areas of life: Relationships & Resources.
It is a daunting task and the most challenging for a person to endeavor to remain in the very center of God’s will but first comes desire.
No one can give this to you. And there are times in this life, especially when times get tough and you are standing up against massive adversity, when the desire to see the LORD will wane but generally you must have a heart that yearns to seek Him and know Him.
In the world today and back to Adam & Eve, this quality of human character has been rare, however, at the time of this writing there is a massive outpouring of the Spirit of God in the earth where there is a huge harvest taking place of souls into the Kingdom of Almighty God through His son Jesus Christ.
The key issue initially is that you MUST be saved, meaning you must accept Jesus Christ as your LORD & Savior.
If you have a desire to know God, it is a historical fact that God became a man in a specific time in history, impacted the lives of those He lived with and all of history thereafter.
So if you the reader do not know Him in this capacity, take the time to tell Him you love Him and that you believe He is God in the flesh (as this will be revealed to you by the Holy Spirit if your desire is to truly know Him) and that you accept His death and sacrifice on the cross in substitute for your personal sins from your old life and for the future and that you believe that God raised Him from the dead.
If you prayed a prayer of repentance and acceptance of Christ like this, then you have become a Christian.
So the beginning of all this is that you maintain a strong relationship with the LORD. Cultivate that desire to seek Him on a daily basis.
There are times when the cry will be desperate and times when there is a quiet calling for Jesus, Jesus.
Relationship with the LORD
Relationships
The relationships that one must master, in order of priority in my opinion, are:
Relationship with LORD, self and others.
Resources that everyone is entrusted with that must be maximized in the use thereof, include: Time, Talent and Treasure (or Money and Possessions).
The key to developing a strong relationship with the LORD include 3 basic disciplines: Praise, Prayer and Bible Study.
Praise includes a heart quality of thankfulness and gratitude.
I find that in times of prayer, I must come to Him, laying before Him all my cares and burdens and put things in my life that I hold dear, even things that I must give up, upon the altar of His love and forgiveness.
The greatest adventure in life is to pursue the LORD, to love Him more deeply and stronger everyday and transfer this to others.
This is not an easy thing to do but it starts at the beginning of your day, every day.
Upon waking, I endeavor to set my heart right before Him.
Regardless of whether I have to get up and get going with a limited time frame or I am able to luxuriate in a morning where I can sleep late (and oh, thank the LORD for those!) I try to immediately orient myself to a new day, regardless of what’s going on in my life. And life will be a turning wheel of seasons of pressure and seasons of blessing.
I begin to pray and thank the LORD for a new day. I pray the Our Father Prayer that the LORD gave us. I also pray the Jabez prayer found in the Book of Judges, the Serenity Prayer (of the 12 Step Program) and a customized prayer that includes praying the blood of Christ and angelic protection around myself and my loved ones.
I proceed by getting up, putting on my IPod and listening to energizing or encouraging Christian praise music that will facilitate more prayer.
I have specific prayer lists I pray over which include prayers directed to the LORD, prayers regarding my relationships and for the larger Body of Christ, those who do not know Christ, for my vocational and financial life and how the LORD can use me to impact society and the culture at large.