My Divine Notes

James 4:10 When you bow down before the Lord, and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. I need the Lord’s strength every second, every minute, every hour and every year of my life. I cannot do life without God. How do I know this? My history is witness to my “do-it-my-own-way” failures. Yet I still forget that I need God’s guidance every minute of my life. I can blame the culture, my profession and my lifestyle. Creative people aren’t known for being humble. We like to stand out – we want to be the best and we want to do it ourselves. But I have to make a conscious choice to depend on Christ. I can’t depend on God only when I worship, go to Bible study or in ministry to others. I must depend on God all the time! I have to make a conscious decision to humble myself before God continuously because the consequences are huge. I start depending on myself and my connection to God. My faith becomes about me – and not about what God wants to do through me. ...

October 26, 2011 Proverbs 19:17 Caring for the poor is lending to the Lord, and you will be well repaid. A thin, gaunt man wearing shorts (it’s still hot here) with giant tattoos on his arms and legs sat next to me on the bus this morning clutching a plastic bag. The bus stopped abruptly and I tipped over, narrowly missing his bag. I scooped it up and apologized. He replied, “Oh it’s just Ramen noodles.” I thought to myself, "‘Wow is that all he has for lunch?’" And then I heard the Lord say, “Give him your lunch.” I thought, "'What? Give him my good sandwich, chips, banana and 16 ounce Diet Dr. Pepper? He didn’t ask for my food!'" Then I heard the Holy Spirit say again, “Give him your lunch.” You have to understand that I am always willing to stop and talk to strangers who talk to me, but I don’t typically pull the lunch out of my bag and offer it to someone who hasn’t asked for it. But I did and it all happened in less than 15 second...

October 16, 2011 1 John 4:1 (GW) Dear friends, don't believe all people who say that they have the Spirit. Instead, test them. See whether the spirit they have is from God, because there are many false prophets in the world. Reading has always been my favorite thing, hobby and passion. Since I’ve come into a living and vital relationship with the Lord, an entire world of new learning has opened up to me. This includes an understanding of God’s Word – the Bible. As I explore the Bible and all the beliefs (religions, etc.), it has become so apparent to me that I must be careful what I allow to enter my mind. This is also vitally important because social media provides countless opportunities for exposure to alternative ways of thinking that disguise themselves as “Christian.” Beware of everything you see, hear or read. As the Holy Spirit opens my mind and heart to the truth of God’s Word as written in the Bible, I recently confirmed that a “religious” television program t...

Sept. 24, 2011 Psalm 101:3a (NLT) I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I like to share my notes and thoughts from sermons that really speak to me. Tonight I listened to a sermon by Pastor Joel Osteen about how important it is to guard our minds. I’ve previously written on this topic because changing what I put in my mind has transformed me and it has taken me to a deeper level in my spiritual walk. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means perfect, but I know that my choices impact my mind. How many of us have a relationship with God – yet we still live with filth coming from our mouth, heart and eyes? Television, movies, radio, the internet, video and all forms of popular media have the power to influence our mind and behavior. When we sit in front of the television for hours watching violence, it’s no surprise that we become violent people. There’s a generation of young people who have grown up with video games that promote violence in one way or another. It’s ...

Psalm 36:5-7 5 Your unfailing love, O L ord , is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O L ord . 7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.  My cat, Jack, adopted me for 15 years. Last night a longtime friend went to bed with a sad heart. His family’s beloved pet dog died. Death catches us unexpectedly at times and it makes us consider the things that are really important in our lives. This morning I woke up thinking about that sweet little dog and it brought to mind my own loss. Almost 10 years ago, a big white cat who owned my heart for 15 years died. My heart was sad for many years after Jack’s physical presence left my life. As I sit here this morning thinking about how animals make a difference in our lives, it’s hard not to consider the tie tha...

Sept. 17, 2011 Nehemiah 8:10 (AMP) …be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Joy in the pits of life exists even though the intellectual mind and heart say it cannot be. Yes – it is possible for Christians to experience joy in middle of trials. There is something very empowering about exposing our souls before God. Transparency before and dependence on God renews the intimate bonds we already share with Him. Until I became a child of God, my feelings, emotions and thoughts took over and amplified my circumstances in very unhealthy ways. Now that I know a powerful and compassionate God, I know that I can hang on to His arms when I am facing the battles of my life. Oh, believe me, I face incredible battles – but I will not let go of God’s loving hand! This is how I keep joy in my heart while I’m in the battlefield: I realize that it’s easy to fall back into my old ways of thinking, so I ask the Lord to stop my wrong thinking. ...

May 29, 2011 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (GW) 3 So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light of the Good News about Christ's glory. It is Christ who is God's image. Time and time again my grandmother would talk to me about the wonderful things God was doing in her life. At the time, my heart was covered with a veil and I refused to believe God could care about me. Sure – he showed up in her life, but he never showed up for me. I believe that the god of this world had hardened my heart with pride and self-sufficiency so that I could not appreciate the wisdom and have the faith of my God-loving grandmother.   I was miserable during those years because I was living a life blinded by sin. I made myself feel good about my behavior by thinking that I was a good person who did many good things for others. ...