You Are Unstoppable

by Thomas Denegre

As a young boy I often heard the family tell the story of my cousin who was killed in Iwo Jima during World War II.  As a Marine he was leading his squad when from behind them a Japanese soldier sprung out of concealed bunker to kill them.  He blocked the shooter by taking the full impact of the bullets and died saving his buddies.  Later my cousin was awarded the Silver Star medal. Jesus once said, “There is no greater love than a love that sacrifices all.”  John 15:13

As a believer I’ve learned this simple rule. Talk is cheap; action is everything. Children are especially good at identifying the hypocrites. People hide behind a mask of righteousness while conducting themselves like a depraved sinner.  It gives Christianity a bad name.   On the other hand, we have experienced a love beyond words that touched us in a magnificent way. This is what makes discipleship extraordinary. This is the action that changes people, cultures, and nations.

I learned no one cares about what you know, rather they want to know you care.

In today’s reading the apostle John teaches how love transforms our hearts into powerful action.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children let us not love with word or with tongue, but with deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 1 John 3:16-20       

As a believer and disciple of Jesus, you are the most powerful person walking on this earth. For the love of God inside you will conquer all, for it is written, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” 1 Cor. 13:7 and his “perfect love casts out all fear.”  1 John 4:18

Jesus said, “if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done.” John 15:7(TPT)

As a believer and disciple, you must open your heart to Jesus to allow his love to work in you and through you.  You do this by being transparent with your wounds and grievances.  Give your wounds to the Lord so he can heal your heart from hardness to tenderness. Repent and forgive others for the grievances.  Keep your gunny sack empty of grievances as this will eliminate bitterness and resentment in your heart.

Through this healing process the Holy Spirit can flow its living streams of life through you and onto others.  Knowing you are loved and healed, you will see people as God sees people.  It will become your nature to act out of God’s love. You’ll be able to love the unlovable. Forgive the unpardonable.  Console the brokenhearted.    Just in your tiny section of the world you’ll be able to have a powerful impact with family, friends, and strangers.  The power of God’s love through you will change you, change others, and change the culture.  Just look how the believers conquered and changed the Roman empire!

Open your heart to Jesus and become the unstoppable person God designed you to be, for your fellow disciples and the Most-High God will always be there to support you.

Powerful thoughts for powerful living

By Thomas Denegre

I learned a simple rule in life resulting in a powerful outcome.  The rule goes like this;

When I dwell on the thoughts of my heart, it magnifies the idea and gives it life; for better or for worse.

Think about it.  Worry is an unhealthy habit that dwells on troubles. When we worry we magnify the trouble until we become sick. The more we dwell on the worry, the sicker we become. Clearly not a good outcome. Who wants this kind of life? On the other hand, today’s scripture reading suggests an effective way to dwell on our thoughts of the heart, for it states;

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Col. 3:15-17

Rule in your heart?  What does that mean?

Like a baseball umpire, I learned to allow the Holy Spirit to call or to identify my thoughts when they are healthy or unhealthy.  I do this by living in life union with Jesus and allowing his words to live powerfully within my mind and my heart. It’s very interesting to observe myself based on where my heart is dwelling on.  I’ll often catch myself becoming agitated when I think on politics.  Conversely, when I dwell my thoughts on Jesus, Father God, gratitude, goodness, scripture, or praise, I find myself at rest and at peace.

In Psalm 91:1 it states, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

Or even better in Proverbs 4:20

My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your sight;

Keep them in the midst of your heart.

For they are life to those who find them

And health to all their body.

Clearly, God is indicating that where we dwell our thoughts of the heart with Him, then he promises life, good health, protection, peace, joy, refuge, and safety.  Aren't these great promises to rely on?

Paul gave these instructions, “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall through following the same example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11

I make every effort to be conscious of my thoughts and how they affect me.  It has become obvious that my spirit must control my thoughts of the heart. I know my desires of the flesh is not up to the job because it seeks self-indulgence.. By having a Spirit-to-spirit relationship with Jesus, I have been given the ability for God’s word to live powerfully in my heart so that his peace rules in my heart. By entering his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, God has given me the secret sauce to enter his rest. 

By dwelling my heart and thoughts with God, He teaches me to see people through His eyes.  For example, if I see the person in my own eyes, I’ll see the jerk.  Conversely, when I see a person through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, I see a child of God filled with great potential, skills, and love.  By being focused on the Holy Spirit, I find it brings life to myself and life to those around me.  It’s amazing what can happen when I make the effort to dwell on the Words of the Lord.

See More Posts from Tom Denegre

The Message of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5: 16-19

How many of us make New Year’s resolutions?  How many of us make resolutions all year long?

“Okay, Monday I’m going to start eating better.  Or, tomorrow I’m going to get up early and exercise.”

We all tend to set goals, whether they be big or small, that often don’t make it past a few days and then we end up starting all over again.

“I mean it this time!  It’ll be different now, I swear!”

I do this a lot and not just with diet and exercise.  I do it with relationships, devotional time, educational goals and career objectives.

So why don’t my goals “stick?”  Why am I not transformed from old to new??

In all the times I’ve attempted to better myself or try something new, I’ve never really acknowledged the message of reconciliation.  I’ve beaten myself up.  I’ve tried on my own and hindered my progress.

Maybe it wasn’t that I failed to reach my goals, but I missed the mark in recognizing God’s necessary contributions to my success.

It comes down to reconciliation.  “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (v.19).  He gave the world a new start through forgiveness.

I normally don’t turn to Wikipedia in my devotions, but when I searched reconciliation, this is what I found…  Reconciliation is the end of the estrangement, caused by original sin, between God and humanity. Evangelical theologian Philip Ryken describes reconciliation in this way; "It is part of the message of Salvation that brings us back together with God... God is the author, Christ is the agent and we are the ambassadors of reconciliation.

Reconciliation is key.  It’s where we get the strength, the determination, the drive to acknowledge and carry out His plans for us.  It is through reconciliation that we are transformed and brought back into relationship with God.  We are human and will continue to sin, but we worship a God who loves us and wants to make us new each day and will continue to transform us, as long as we let Him.

Father, I need you.  I don’t want to be estranged from you because it’s through our relationship that I’m able to accomplish what you have planned.  Save me from myself and make me new each day.  Amen

Life on Mission – Grow

Romans 12:1-13 (Transformed)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

---Learn what God’s will is, and following through with it. You will change. You will grow.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and those members do not have all the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4-5)

---When all of us in Christ work toward the same goal of bringing others to the Lord, each using our own gifts according to the grace given us, we grow together.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:9-10)

---Be selfless in word and deed. Live genuinely, displaying love toward all others.

This “Life on Mission” journey we are on has thus far focused on connecting, serving, sharing, and now growing. It is important that we as Christ followers remain focused on growing our own understanding of the word, and deepening our relationship with the Father. As we mentor others through their own journey however, there are things we need to do to help them grow as well.

We would never leave the side of a child just as they were beginning to balance on a two wheeled bicycle. In the same way, we must not lead someone to our God and then leave them on their own. It is essential to help them learn how to continue to grow by feeding themselves with the fruit of the vine. Time, patience, materials, groups and prayer are all important to offer them on a regular basis, yet walking along side of them and being a model, a friend and an encourager is truly what they will need.

(Romans 12:12-13) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

We all have needs of some sort, yet helping others to grow and fulfill their spiritual need has far greater impact than any other need ........indeed!

Romans 12:1-13