Friday, September 28, 2007

The Great Challenge of Life!


The Great Challenge of Life!
Brad Reiches
Sep 28 2007 10:29AM



Friday, September 28, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"The Great Challenge of Life!"

Grappling with the Thoughts of God


"For my thoughts are not your thoughts...
For as the heavens are higher than the earth
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9

The thoughts of God are...life giving.  As opposed to "non-God thoughts" which are...death producing.    From the very beginning, Adam and Eve provide a tragic example.  The serpent (liar/deceiver), came to them claiming that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make them like God (see Genesis 3:1-6).  In fact, just the opposite was true.  Eating from the tree that God said not to eat from would be rebellionIt would make them, "un-like" God.

Sadly, prior to their sin they had been very much like God, having been created in His image (see Genesis 1:26).  Perhaps they were as close in likeness as any Creator-creation ever has been.  But they CHOSE not to listen to God's thoughts.  Instead, they agreed with the serpent and did what seemed right to them

"There is a way which seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

The way I see it, this is the great challenge of lifeTo do what seems right to me, or to do what God says is the right thing to do...whether or not I want to...whether or not I agree with it...whether or not I understand it.  God has given us a free will that He will never renounce.  We always have the option to do what seems right to us.  But if our thoughts and actions don't align with those of God, the consequences, according to the Bible, will ALWAYS be some form...of death.





Wednesday, September 26, 2007

I've God a Secret...


I've God a Secret...
Brad Reiches
Sep 26 2007 10:00AM



Wednesday, September 26, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!
"Another Secret"

"The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him."
Psalm 25:14

As many of you know, my life's purpose (or as my ten year old daughter Jennifer, calls it, my "prime directive) is, To get to know Jesus Christ and represent Him in everything I do.  This has been my personal mission statement for more than twenty years as I try and live each day gearing everything I do around my relationship with God.

Recently, I discovered something interesting.  1 John 2:3 says,

"And by this we know that we have come to know Him,
if we keep His commandments."

Do you see it?  The status of our relationship with Christ can be evaluated through the grid what He asks us to do.  Therefore...

TO KNOW HIM IS TO REPRESENT HIM.
ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE...THE ONE
DOES NOT EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER.

Wow.





Tuesday, September 25, 2007

That's uhhh, SUPER MOTIVATING!


That's uhhh, SUPER MOTIVATING!
Brad Reiches
Sep 25 2007 11:37AM



Tuesday, September 25, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!
"That's uhhh, SUPER MOTIVATING!"

"Delight yourself in the Lord
and He will fulfill the desires of your heart."
Psalms 37:4

That's motivating.

"No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
Psalm 138:8
That's motivating.
"Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and
all these things (needs) shall be added to you."
Matthew 6:33

That's way motivating.

"This book...meditate on it day and night...
be careful to do according to all that is written in it...
Then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have success."
Joshua 1:8

So, in conclusion...Obeying God's word and living uprightly before Him will result in success, prosperity and the fulfillment of our needs and the desires of our hearts.

That's uhhh...SUPER MOTIVATING!



Thursday, September 20, 2007

What is the Purpose of the Bible?


What is the Purpose of the Bible?
Brad Reiches
Sep 20 2007 11:15PM



Friday, September 21, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"What is the Purpose of the Bible?"

"All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness."
2 Timothy 3:16

A recent GodThoughtsWired! subscriber declares, 

"If you read it, the bible itself says it is not to be used as an authority for anything.
The only authority and guide is the Spirit of Christ, not a book."

At first I thought he was kidding however, subsequent comments let me know that he was very, VERY serious.  So, "What does the Bible say about itself, regarding its "authority?"

"That which was written in earlier times (the Bible),
was written for our instruction."
Romans 15:4; see also 1 Corinthians 10:11

Literally, from Deuteronomy (12:32) to Revelation (22:18-19), the Bible says of itself that IT IS! to be used as an "authority"...FOR EVERYTHING! (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  A very partial list of examples include:

-The Bible is to be used as an authority for "instruction" (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).
-The Bible is to be used as an authority for "teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
-The Bible is to be used as an authority for "guidance and direction" (Psalm 119:105).

Further, the Bible itself says that it is to be used as an ULTIMATE AUTHORITY, not to be added to or taken away from (Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).

"If you read it, the bible itself says it is not
to be used as an authority for anything?"

Actually, IF YOU READ IT, the Bible itself says IT IS TO BE USED AS AN AUTHORITY FOR EVERYTHING!