Category: Uncategorized

“and ye are a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…” 1 Peter 2:9a

“who were once not a people, and are now the people of God…” 1 Peter 2:10a

Read all of verses nine and ten. The above portions are from the Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible. See what your favorite version says.

We have been made a special people…a (spiritually based) ethnic group; a group blessed and separated by God; a group received of His mercy.

We know the ethnic groups, races, and nations of man. They all have a mix of good and evil…good because of God’s gifts in creation, evil due the the fall of humankind and the attending sin.

God wants us to embrace our new, special status and walk in newness of life. Our colors, natural ethnicity, or nation have not changed. But this new nation, this new ethnic group is to supersede the sins attendant to all human groups. We are to be a HOLY NATION.

Our identity comes from God and manifests from the new life within us. Our new identity comes from that new nature within us not from outside sources.

We have been made a people who were not a people before. We are God’s special people and He wants to demonstrate His glory through us.

Read verses 9-10 in there entirety and meditate, seek God for a revelation of what it means to be a new nation, God’s nation.

Often when we think of love we think of feelings. That’s not all there is to it. That is especially true if we are talking about God’s love. I love the feelings when in God’s manifest presence. I love that feeling of love and peace and joy just like others do. But God’s love goes a long way beyond those feelings.

For one thing God’s love is active. When He loves He does. We have all known people who professed love but did nothing to act it out. God is not like that. His love is so powerful that He acts upon it.

John 3:16 says He loved and gave His Son. Ps. 136 lists generations of good works by God because of His love for His people. All through scripture we see that because He loved He Healed, provided, protected, and on and on.

God’s love for you is a dynamic thing. He wants to express that love to you in your day to day life. Just believe in Him and His love and accept it as He pours His goodness into your life.

The second half of Ps. 33:5 says “the earth is full of His goodness.” It does not say the news is filled with His goodness or politics are filled with His goodness. The earth is filled with His goodness. And you do not have to look too far to see it.

God’s goodness is not only shown in nature but in people. There are millions of givers who go out of their way to help others. These seldom make the news but have been influenced by the goodness of God. When love and kindness are shared it is because of the goodness of God.

How good He is to give us the greatest gift JESUS so we can have LIFE. He is the God who comforts and heals. He is the God whose mercy and loving kindness endures. Ps. 136. He is the God of freedom and deliverance. He is the giver of joy and the Prince of Peace. He is the God who will never leave you or forsake you. He is the God who wants to share Hid goodness with you. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Ps. 34:8.

In spite of hard times this remains true. God is good! To you. Today.

Just a short but needed post today. As Christians we can obey or disobey God. He has made us free and given us the ability to walk in His Spirit. As sinners our freedom was severely limited because of bondage and no Godly new life in us. Now we are free. But sometimes we enter back into the bondage of rage or of hatred or unforgiveness. When we do that we have entered into sin. Who do we serve in those moments?

Sometimes we feel justified in our sin if it has to do with politics. Some even think they get a pass on wrong actions and attitudes if their sports team loses. We cannot minister life while embracing death. We cannot be a light if we live in darkness.

I have had to repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness and help in these things. The more I walk in the light as He is the Light, I walk in peace no matter the difficulties or disappointments. Serve the Prince of Peace.

During times in which we see so much corruption and evil we Christians get involved socially and politically. That is important. But the antidote to evil is not political or social at its base. There must be spiritual interventin. The arm of humans will fail us. We must depend on God.

So many see evil and pray for a revival in our nation. And that is good. But the Biblical model and the historical evidence is that we as God’s people must seek His face and give up our pet sins. Repentence, judgement, and revival all start with God’s people’

It does no good for me to pray that the evil I see in others be dealt with if I am not willing to search my heart and lay aside the things I am doing wrong. Revival starts in a search for God’s will and ways in our hearts. From there the power of His HOLY Spirit moving in the earth will expand.

God must be our King…not Trump, not Biden, not ourselves. Jesus as Lord will transform a people, a society.

2020 was a year of many challenges. In my other blog I dealt with some natural changes I will be making in 2021. http://www.timspositiveplace.com As Christians we are responsible to do natural things to make our world better.

But if we have learned anything in 2020 we have learned that the arm of flesh often fails us. We need God’s intervention. We need to seek God for a revival across America. We need to repent and seek His face. We need to quit asking Him to support our political tribe and depend on Him as the answer, not a man, nor a political party. As important as those are, only God’s intervention and Lordship will bring the positive changes we need.

2021 will be a happier year if we depend on the One who can truly transform hearts and minds and nations.

Happy New Year!

As Christians we of all people should be able to set aside our troubles long enough to focus on God’s greatest gift, JESUS. At the incarnation everything started to change. God will ultimately demonstrate His victory over evil. With the coming of Jesus there began a change that will continue until that day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Rejoice. We are not losing. We are in the family of God. And He is the ultimate winner.

Have a great Christmas.

As we look ahead to the Christmas season and beyond, by faith we can see and expect better days. But that hope and faith must not be put only in humankind and its institutions and its leadership. This year should have convinced that we as Christians must trust less in humans and more in God.

It is God that heals, delivers and restores. While we have our responsibility for social and political involvement, ultimately our hope and the hope of our nation can only be fulfilled by God’s intervention. While people, political parties, and governments let us down, God will not. Our faith and prayers must be towards God not man.

Let us seek God for a better future knowing He is faithful and He loves us. Look to God. Then look forward in faith.

2020 has been a challenging year in a lot of ways. But as I mentioned in my blog at Tim’s Positive Place, it is not the sum total of our existence but one year of many. It is easy to lose perspective when our emotions are affected. We, as Christians should never forget the ongoing grace and mercy in our lives because of Christ Jesus and our relationship with Him

Today I just want to remind you that we have so many more blessings in Christ than we have challenges. Especially at this time of year we should focus on all the miraculous changes that happened because of Jesus’ birth into this world.

The advent was the door opening on all the good and precious things God wants to give us. Think on Him. Meditate on the message of the season. What you meditate on and what you believe will have great impact on your emotional life.

So embrace the Season celebrating God’s greatest gift, Jesus. For from that gift comes the new birth and the covenant in His blood, newness of life, freedom from the bondage of sin and hopelessness, His character and life in us, and many other benefits. Rejoice! 2020 lasts a year. God’s goodness and graces are everlasting.

Choosing to rejoice does NOT mean that you do not you take serious things seriously. It simply means that you know someone greater than your problems. Jesus is our hope and help. He is much more powerful and trustworthy than the arm of the flesh. Rejoice! For pandemics or politics, serious as they may be, are not the center of our realities. Jesus is. He truly is the PRINCE OF PEACE.

We as Christians need to seek the Lord, humble ourselves and repent. In this year I’ve seen so many Christians, even ministers, full of fear. Others full of cynicism, anger, and hate. And they all had reasons, excuses. BUT IT ISN’T RIGHT.

How can we be lights in darkness if we, ourselves, embrace the darkness. If we live in fear we are not living in faith. If we are living in cynicism, anger and hate, we are not walking in love and peace.

It should not surprise us if those without Christ fall into these things. But if we let politics, covid or any other thing make us walk in anger, hate, fear, or any other of Satan’s ways, we need to pray, repent, seek God’s forgiveness for claiming Him as our Lord and living in the old nature. God has given us freedom from all of that. If we are to be effective witnesses (and ministers) we must not make excuses for the evil we embrace.

A lot of us need to give the Lord an honest apology. Times like these do not so much change what is in us but exposes what was already there. Repentance is not a bad thing. It brings peace, joy, renewal.