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    • Hide His Word Away

      Posted at 9:09 am by sneuhofer, on January 3, 2018

      Proverbs 3: 1 -2(HCSB) My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.

      Proverbs 2:1, 5 (HCSB) My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding…then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.

      This morning as I read Proverbs 3, I couldn’t help but go back to yesterday’s reading in Proverbs 2. Both Proverbs 2 and 3 begin with a charge to hide God’s word in our hearts. If we do that, God promises  many days, a full life, well-being (3:1) and the understanding and knowledge of God (2:1)….in other words we are promised the gift of WISDOM.

      What is wisdom anyway and why is it so important to have?

      As a follower of Christ, wisdom…Godly wisdom… is essential. There are so many “view-points” in our culture today that are trying to twist what the Word of God actually says. When we are in daily communion (fellowship, association) with God and His word, we begin to know what the truth actually is. Hiding God’s word in our heart is the first step to receiving the gift of wisdom. Once received, the “noise” and “chatter” of other voices trying to skew our “Biblical world-view” will be…worthless.

      Take a look at Noah in Genesis 6 – 9. In these three chapters of Genesis, God’s wrath towards sin unfolds through a flood that wiped out the entire earth and all of its inhabitants. At the same time, these chapters show God’s great mercy for people who truly seek Him. God saw that “Noah was a good man, the most innocent man of his time, and he walked with God.” (6:8 – NCV) “Noah did everything that God commanded him.” (6:22 & 7:5 – NCV) Noah and his family were spared devastation because of their obedience and faithfulness to God.

      Noah didn’t listen to all the “worthless chatter” going on around him. He was obedient to God. Because Noah didn’t forget God’s teaching, he and his family enjoyed many days, a full life, well-being (Proverbs 3:1).

      Father I thank for Your Word. I thank you that didn’t leave me (us) alone to figure things out on my (our) own. Thank you for giving me (us) Your Word to tuck away in my (our) heart and the Holy Spirit to be my (our) counselor and guide. Continue to work in me (us) through Your Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. AMEN!

      Verses to tuck away:
      Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119:11, Jeremiah 15:16, Colossians 3:16

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      Posted in abundant life, Quiet time | 1 Comment

    • STOP the NOISE!!!

      Posted at 8:45 am by sneuhofer, on August 12, 2017

      We live in a world of constant chaos. There is never enough time for anything or anyone.  From the time we’re so rudely awakened by the annoying sound of the alarm clock, our lives are nothing but constant motion. We have so many outside distractions demanding our undivided attention and every little second of our time.

      Our day begins and you’re in constant motion.  There is no time for anything or anyone. The world is passing you by in an instant and it seems that you cannot get anything accomplished on your daily list of things to do.

      Your family, friends, co-workers and boss all need a piece of your time. 
      • “Mom., she hit me!” 
      • “Mom the dog is barking at the cat.” 
      • “Hon, can you take my suit to the cleaners before you head to work.” 
      • “Oh, by the way, I asked my boss over for dinner tonight – can you stop and pick something up on your way home from work?”
      • “This document has to be complete by the end of the day, we are under a strict deadline… you will have it to me right?”  
      Everything fiber of your being want to scream until the madness stops. “What do the words be quiet mean anyway?  My life is just too busy to be still…  it’s just not possible – the noise is too much!” It’s so hard for me to just focus. I need silence so I can think.  Around and around and around you go where you stop no one ever knows.  
       

      Have you ever felt like your life has gotten so that you can’t function unless there is noise at every turn? What would you do if it were actually quiet? It’s hard to imagine isn’t it?  It’s the constant motion that has you running out of breath.  “Something has to give” you plead. Where is the release? Have you ever longed for a quiet place you can go to find refreshment/renewal? Perhaps the word “quiet” doesn’t even exist in your vocabulary.

      Does being still and being quiet sound like a foreign language?  In this world full of noise, how will we ever hear God’s truth unless we are listening to Him?  The sound of silence is not a frightening thing… we must embrace it!  It is in this place of “silence” we are able to unplug and relax in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

      Jesus wants to spend time with us alone – one on one time with Him – no interruptions – no distractions.

      I know what you must be thinking… “every second of my day has something in it… there is absolutely no time for me to slow down and get quiet!”

      Yet, it’s in this quiet place that we are able to “let go” of our over committed schedule and focus our energies on the Creator the Universe and His purpose for our lives.  Yes that’s right… HE has a purpose for us. But how will we ever know of the abundance He has for us if we aren’t able to clearly hear His voice? Our days are filled with people, places and all sorts of stuff  – but if we don’t leave room for Jesus – we depend on ourselves and not Jesus to get us through the tough times.

      On the other hand, if Jesus is our priority we can have the personal relationship with him that he wants with us. We were created to be in fellowship with God every day. He wants to be included in our goals, dreams and daily activities.  He is the only one who is there for us when the rest of the world checks out – and if we let Him – he will renew strength if we would only unplug from the noise and plug into a daily quiet time with Him.  He is our source for strength and our defense against the lies we hear from this world.

      He’s calling us to come away and spend a little piece of our day with Him. Perhaps the best time to give him is in the morning when you’re fresh and your mind is less cluttered.  So in this place of no distractions, prepare your heart to spend a few minutes with God.

      Christ did so much for us when He gave his life so that we could be forgiven and live eternally with Him.  Is it too much to give him just a few minutes out of our day?  The choice is yours – believe the lies of this world (“I don’t have time!”) or unplug and learn the truth (God loves you and wants to help you with your daily To-Do list.) .

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      Posted in abundant life, be still | 0 Comments

    • What could be better than silver or gold?

      Posted at 8:45 am by sneuhofer, on August 10, 2017
      Is there something that you’ve been living (or dealing) with that you wish you could change? My answer…ABSOLUTELY!
      In Acts 3, Peter and John are headed to the temple to pray when they encounter a man who had been crippled since birth. Every day the man  is placed at the entrance to the temple gate to beg for money. When the man saw Peter and John approaching he asked them for money just as he had done to everyone else that entered.

      “I have no silver or gold” Peter told him “but what I have I give you.”

      You see Peter couldn’t give the man what he wanted but through the power of the Holy Spirit he could give him something even better.

      “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”

      Taking the man by the right hand, Peter raised him up from the ground. Immediately the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.

      Can you imagine what was going through the mind of the crippled man? This guy had been begging for money just a few short moments before with no hope of ever moving on his own and now, in an instant, he was walking and leaping and praising God! Peter gave him something much more important than money…he gave him the use of his legs.

      We tend to do the same thing don’t we? We ask God to solve a small problem. I can see the problem right in front of me, but it’s not small at all…to me it’s a major crisis. The truth is, God wants to give us something better than what we can see with our eyes. Instead of solving our one problem, he wants to give us a new life and solve all of our problems.

      We may ask God for what we want but we can never be too surprised when He gives us what we need instead.

      Acts 3 : 1 – 10 (NCV) One day Peter and John went to the Temple at three o’clock, the time set each day for the afternoon prayer service. There, at the Temple gate called Beautiful Gate, was a man who had been crippled all his life. Every day he was carried to this gate to beg for money from the people going into the Temple.  The man saw Peter and John going into the Temple and asked them for money.  Peter and John looked straight at him and said, “Look at us!”  The man looked at them, thinking they were going to give him some money.  But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you. By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, stand up and walk!”  Then Peter took the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.  All the people recognized him as the crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate begging for money. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God, and they were amazed. They wondered how this could happen.

       

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      Posted in abundant life, Empowered by the Holy Spirit, God gives us what we need | 0 Comments

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