Thursday, September 01, 2005
The Lord led me to this blog page because I wanted to comment on a post by Donald W. Mitchell that God used to minister comfort and assurance to me.http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/The presence of His Spirit was so precious, especially at this time, because my circumstances are teetering on the brink of financial catastrophe and all I've got is faith and hope that God will preserve my home and marriage. Bill Keller's devotional was from my long parted son's 18th birthday and included the comforting exhortation to cast my cares on the Lord. Our wall calendar's scripture for today is Matthew 11:28. It's Jesus invitation for the heavy laden to come to Him for rest. When my son was an infant, I flew with him to visit my paternal grandfather, who was dying of cancer. The most memorable part was the flight back from Phoenix, Az. to the San Francisco Bay Area, which took us directly over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Mr. Mitchell mentions flying over it twice in his blog. He also mentions Niagara Falls, which also has significance in things that I hope for from the Lord regarding Buffalo,N.Y. and O.J. Simpson's appearance in a prophetic passage in the book of Proverbs, chapter 7. I'm expecting the Lord to pull the curtain back on these revelations and turn American Christians back to Jesus Christ, and away from empty churchianity and the service of mammon. I have suffered much loss at the hands of such false Christians and I have been waiting, not always very patiently, for the Lord to turn my captivity. I can see some pieces moving, but I've been very disappointed when I assumed what would happen. But through it all, God has been working in me, and I must concur that the sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed. I'm seeing His image more clearly in me than I thought possible, although there remains a long way to go. I urge those of you who know what it means to count the cost of following Jesus, and reckon it worthwhile, and who know the pain of loving Him more than life itself. He is worthy and faithful, and though the road be long and harsh, He is with us always, even to the end of the age, and He knows the way that we take. He reminded me of this today. Blessed be His holy name!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2005
Bill Keller's Devotional on Freeing Yourself from Your Past
Good morning, Happy Souls!
Are you feeling motivated this morning?
I certainly hope so.
I shared the good news about this new
blog with Bill Keller who writes the
Daily Devotional from www.LivePrayer.com/.
He kindly offered to let me repeat his
past devotionals that I thought you might
enjoy. Here's one of my favorites from
August 18, 2005.
If you are not interested in Christian
messages, you may not wish to read this
entry. But if you want to hear an
inspiring devotional, please do read on.
Bill Keller's devotional begins here:
YOU can be free from your past,TODAY! This
message applies to every single person who
is reading this right now. It doesn't
matter how old you are, whether you are a
man or a woman, what your skin color is,
what nationality you are, how much money
you have or don't have, this is a universal
message that is applicable to everyone.
You see, nobody that has lived very long in
this sin-filled and evil world has escaped
the trials and tribulations of this life
and not experienced some sort of pain.
EVERYONE reading this Devotional knows the
pain that comes from time to time during
this journey we are on.
For some, that pain was experienced in your
childhood through mental, physical, or
sexual abuse. Some have experienced that
pain later in life through failed
relationships, many through being divorced.
Everyone has lived through the pain of the
death of a loved one. Many of you have
experienced the pain of financial
hardships. Others have lived through the
pain of losing your job or other employment
and career issues. Sadly, some have lived
through the experience of being a crime
victim. Everyone has experienced the pain
from making poor choices at some point in
their life. Most have had to experience
the pain of some bondage such as alcohol,
drugs, gambling, sex, food, money, shopping,
lying, or a myriad of other bondages that
people get caught up in.
NOT ONE PERSON READING THIS HAS NOT HAD TO
LIVE THROUGH THE PAIN THAT COMES FROM LIVING
THIS LIFE HERE ON EARTH.
Today, I want to share a word with you that
could be one of the most important things
anyone has ever told you. YOU DO NOT HAVE
TO KEEP LIVING WITH WHATEVER PAIN YOU HAVE
FROM YOUR PAST. Let me repeat that,
because I really want you to hear these
words clear. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP
LIVING WITH WHATEVER PAIN YOU HAVE FROM
YOUR PAST. If you are, that is only
because you have CHOSEN to live with that
pain!
The fact is, God has made a way through
faith in His Son for you to put the pain of
your past behind you and live your life in
freedom. Jesus has told us to give Him our
burdens, that He would carry them for us.
The Bible tells us to cast our cares on Him,
because He cares for us. You see, God
doesn't expect you to carry the pain of
your past with you each day. He wants you
to live FREE from your past so that you can
enjoy the abundance that this life has to
offer.
Just hours before going to the cross, Jesus
told His disciples that in this world, they
would experience trials and tribulations.
But He told them to "be of good cheer"
because HE has overcome this world. You see
my friend, trials and tribulations are part
of this human experience, but God has made
a way through His Son for us to still enjoy
the abundance that this life can offer
despite those trials and tribulations.
The only reason you are carrying the pain
of your past with you today is because you
have chosen to believe the LIE instead of
the TRUTH. Jesus tells us in John 8:44 that
satan is a liar. He is the "father of
lies." When he speaks, he speaks his
native language, lying! God on the other
hand is TRUTH. The Word of God is TRUTH.
The lie of satan is that you have to carry
the pain of your past around with you each
day like a 1,000 pound anchor around your
neck. The truth from God is that you can
take that pain of your past and give it to
Jesus. HE WILL GLADLY TAKE THAT 1,000
POUND ANCHOR FROM YOU TODAY!!!
I love you and care about you so much.
Everyone reading this Devotional today has
experienced some of the pain that this life
offers. So many of you have never let go
of that pain and have simply learned how
to live your life each day with that pain.
Because of that, you are missing the
fullness of the joy, peace, and abundance
that this life can offer. Because of that,
you are not completely fulfilling your
purpose in this life which is to serve and
glorify God with your life. Because of
that, you are not living in total freedom
and victory each day.
Right now, this very moment, I want you to
stop whatever you are doing. If you are at
home, at work, at school, it doesn't matter.
Stop whatever you are doing right now and
pray this prayer.
"Dear Father, I thank you for this day.
I know that today was not promised to me,
but it is a gift from You. Dear God, You
know the pain I have today from what has
happened in my life. I am tired of
carrying this pain with me day after day.
It is robbing me of my joy, of my peace,
of knowing the abundance that this life can
offer. I trust Your Word today that tells
me that I can give this burden to You, that
You will take it from me. I trust Your
Word today that tells me to cast my cares
on You, because You care for me. In the
name of Jesus, I give You the pain of my
past today. In the name of Jesus, I
surrender it to You. Take it from me, and
fill me right now with Your joy, with Your
peace, and let me live from this day
forward in FREEDOM FROM MY PAST! In Jesus
name I pray, AMEN!"
I will be praying for you today my friend.
God loves you SO MUCH! He cares about you
SO MUCH! We live in an evil and sin-filled
world. Because of that, we all will
experience pain in this life, but God has
made a way so that we do not have to carry
that pain around with us for the rest of
our days. He has offered to carry it for
us, to take it from us. I pray today that
you will trust Him and give Him the pain of
your past and live in FREEDOM from this day
forward!
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
If I can help you in any way you can
contact me through my personal email at
bkeller@liveprayer.com
***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL
SPEND ETERNITY? The fact is you will die
one day. At that moment, you will either
spend eternity with the Lord or be cast
into everlasting darkness forever separated
from God your creator. To know for certain
you will be forever with Jesus, go to:
http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html
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***I am excited to let you know that the
Liveprayer Daily Devotional is now
available via AUDIO each day. Simply go to
http://www.liveprayer.com/DailyDevotionalAudio.html
Also, you can now listen to the Daily
Devotional by phone by calling 727-856-7055,
or access it on your wireless device by
going to: http://wapdd.com
(C) Copyright 2005, Bill Keller Ministries.
All rights reserved.
May God bless you and yours today!
Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge
Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell
Lay Up Spiritual Experiences for Your Soul's Delight
Good morning, Happy Souls!
Let me first share a little background about my perspective. I am a practicing Protestant who had several life-changing experiences in my youth when God touched me and assured me of His presence and support. From that perspective, I've always been interested in having even closer communion with God. And I've wanted to learn to follow His commandments with a glad heart.
In my Bible reading, I've always been sensitive to the teaching of Jesus about how a rich person can fall in love with her or his possessions and miss the Kingdom of Heaven. To help counter that risk, I have sought to find places and ways to feel God's presence more often.
Let me share with you some of the happiest and most moving of those experiences -- ones that I hope you can duplicate.
Nature can provide a great sense of the Divine. Three places in nature have proven to be most powerful for me. One is the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I have been visiting that remarkable hole in the ground since I was a child. I have flown over it, flown through it, gazed down from the rim and hiked from the top to the bottom and back up again. It's that last experience that was the most profound. While I did my hike on a hot summer day, I recommend that you try this during the cooler spring and fall seasons. If you pick the right trail, there's water and shade every one thousand feet of elevation. Be sure to carry some plastic water bottles or canteens to refill. You'll need a lot of water and food to make this arduous journey. I also recommend that you do some hiking to get into shape before taking this trip. Be sure to take the hike with someone, just in case one of you needs help. There is no charge beyond entry into the park for such a hike. If you decide you want to stay overnight before climbing back up, be sure to make your reservations with the Park Service well in advance. Space at the bottom is in high demand.
As you proceed down the canyon, you gradually leave most people behind. Before you are done, there will be times when you see and hear nothing beyond your own breath and footsteps except an occasional bird or deer. This relative silence and solitude provide a sort of walking meditation. Also, you're working pretty hard so you fall into a patient pace while your body is flooded with endorphins which lift your mood. The deeper you go, the more you begin to appreciate how tiny we and our day-to-day concerns are. That feeling is ultimately replaced with a sense of awe and appreciation for this great natural wonder that lifts your heart and mind. Be sure to take some photographs of your journey, and you will be able to recreate the experience emotionally whenever you want. It's well worth it to carry a camera all of that distance. Even today, when I fly over the canyon different formations seem to greet me from the ground . . . reminding me of the great communion I shared in their midst.
The second awe-inspiring sight is found in a place that is more accessible by air and car, Yosemite in California. In the south of the park, you can walk among trees that are hundreds of feet high and centuries old on misty mornings that seem like the Creation is brand new. In the main valley, you have amazing cliffs, waterfalls and intriguing trails to explore. While I have never hiked to the top of the valley, I'm sure the experience is well worth the effort and provides many of the same rewards as the Grand Canyon hike. Everywhere there is dense silence even though the park receives great numbers of visitors. All you have to do is walk at least a hundred years away from a road, and you will feel like you've gone back a million years in time.
The third place in nature where I have felt the same spiritual uplift is in whale-watching, something that less than one percent of the people in the world have done. In the United States, great whale-watching sites are located off of Boston Harbor during the late spring, summer and early fall, off the California coast in spring and fall, in Alaska during the summer and between Maui and Lanai in the winter in the Hawaiian Islands. During such visits, you will find yourself out with graceful sea mammals whose length may be as great as your boat's. If you have the good fortune to contact humpbacks, you can expect a show. Humpbacks may stick their heads out of the water to get a better look at you, take great leaps from the water, flap their fins hard against the water or dive gracefully to give you a beautiful view of their tail flippers. No two trips are the same. Such a trip will usually cost around $40 for an adult and last 4-5 hours. I like to go on hot days when the offshore breezes provide natural air conditioning over the colder ocean waters.
But I've felt much of the same spiritual connection and tranquility in other places such as the Zen garden in Seattle, watching the sun rise over Haleakala's crater on Maui, driving through the Painted Desert in the Southwest, and spending the night in a hotel overlooking Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.
While you may not have visited all of these places, I hope you will seek them out if you have the opportunity to be in the vicinity. In the meantime, do go to those places that have already provided you with a spiritual connection to our Creator. Sunday's a great day to do this . . . or pick the day of your Sabbath if you do not observe on Sundays.
Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge
Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell
POSTED BY DONALD MITCHELL AT 11:50 AM 1 COMMENTS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2005
Introduction to This Blog
Good morning, Happy Souls!
Many people see all the beauties of life being tied up in having lots of money. For those who strongly believe this way, they may spend decades working in every possible way to accumulate wealth.
But instead, each of us can choose to nurture our souls first. With God behind us, our material needs will be met and we will prepare both better for this world and the next.
In this blog, I will begin by reprinting entries from my popular blog, Live Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day (http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/) so they can be accessed more easily. I will also write special blog entries from time to time for those who are interested in spiritual more than material matters for life improvement.
Please send me your suggestions for this blog.
May God bless you!
Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge
Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell
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