If you fall seventy times a day, rise seventy times and return to God so that you will not fall too often.
Johannes Tauler (1300–1361)
Showing posts with label failure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label failure. Show all posts
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, April 17, 2009
Paralysed by failure
Failures for the believer are always temporary.
God loves you and me so much that he will
allow almost any failure if the end result
is that we become more like Jesus.
Forsake your wimp factor,
take a step and be proactive.
by George Verwer – Operation Mobilisation
http://www.georgeverwer.com
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Failure paralyses. Feelings of unworthiness stifle our faith. Guilt breaks our will. Satan uses failure to degrade, put down, accuse and undermine.
Peter failed Jesus in the worst way. He denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was suffering. Failure paralysed him. He gave up his ministry and returned to his occupation as a fisherman. Totally defeated Peter had given up.
Jesus met Peter where he was at. Jesus had not rejected him. He prompted Peter to return. It began with a miracle. Then Breakfast-a meal with Jesus. And finally restoration. Here is the story:
John 21:3-17 Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing." The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him. Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No." He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it. Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip. Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master. Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep." Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you failed?
It is time to get together with Jesus.
Bob Lipsys
God loves you and me so much that he will
allow almost any failure if the end result
is that we become more like Jesus.
Forsake your wimp factor,
take a step and be proactive.
by George Verwer – Operation Mobilisation
http://www.georgeverwer.com
----------------------------------------------
Failure paralyses. Feelings of unworthiness stifle our faith. Guilt breaks our will. Satan uses failure to degrade, put down, accuse and undermine.
Peter failed Jesus in the worst way. He denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was suffering. Failure paralysed him. He gave up his ministry and returned to his occupation as a fisherman. Totally defeated Peter had given up.
Jesus met Peter where he was at. Jesus had not rejected him. He prompted Peter to return. It began with a miracle. Then Breakfast-a meal with Jesus. And finally restoration. Here is the story:
John 21:3-17 Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing." The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him. Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No." He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it. Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip. Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master. Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep." Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Have you failed?
It is time to get together with Jesus.
Bob Lipsys
Monday, April 6, 2009
You’re not talented enough, gifted enough, smart enough.......
“You’re not talented enough, gifted enough, smart enough, educated enough, equipped enough, good looking or beautiful enough to carry out God’s cause or purpose for your life!” ….However,.. “God is not looking at your ability” but at your heart
Paul Kafentzis http://www.finishingstrong.co.za/
Too often I’ve shrunk back from God’s call on my life because I’ve looked at my natural gifting. I know that I just have not got what it takes to do what God is calling me to do. His “vision” is beyond my abilities.
Paul Kafentzis however got the point across to me in the great quote above. He is right. In our natural selves, we just don’t have what it takes. But, serving God is not about having the abilities or “the look.” It is all about having a heart that is firmly set on God. That is why we are told to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” We can’t fulfil our vision in our strength and abilities.
God’s vision for our lives is a God sized vision. We need to work closely with Him to fulfil it. Soak up the Bible reading below, then check out Paul Kafentzis’ site.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV)
Bob Lipsys
Paul Kafentzis http://www.finishingstrong.co.za/
Too often I’ve shrunk back from God’s call on my life because I’ve looked at my natural gifting. I know that I just have not got what it takes to do what God is calling me to do. His “vision” is beyond my abilities.
Paul Kafentzis however got the point across to me in the great quote above. He is right. In our natural selves, we just don’t have what it takes. But, serving God is not about having the abilities or “the look.” It is all about having a heart that is firmly set on God. That is why we are told to “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” We can’t fulfil our vision in our strength and abilities.
God’s vision for our lives is a God sized vision. We need to work closely with Him to fulfil it. Soak up the Bible reading below, then check out Paul Kafentzis’ site.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV)
Bob Lipsys
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