Manufactured Righteousness
I invite you to reflect on the reality that a lifestyle based on manufactured righteousness and self-determined morality is an empty lie. In reality, its building-blocks are like threads of filthy, decaying, worthless rags. It has no strength, no integrity, and no ability to justify itself in the sight of God. Ephesians 4:24 (NKJV) says, “…that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” The only source of true righteousness is repentance from unbelief, manufactured righteousness and self-determined morality, as you make your commitment to Christ. Repentance and commitment are the only building-blocks of life that are justified in God’s eyes. They are found woven into robes of biblical righteousness. The only One who can provide these robes sits on a holy throne. His name is Jesus. Righteousness is surrender to truth, which is the living Word of God, as only He defines it. It is cannot be manufactured or self-determined. The substance of these robes of righteousness is found only in your heart’s surrender to Christ. I’m Dr. Bob. Put on these garments. Wear them gracefully and gratefully. Let there be no manufactured righteousness or self- determined morality in your life. Biblical righteousness, based on surrender to Christ… now, that’s something you can wear. You can listen to my previous Mentoring Minutes at www.mentoringministry.com/blogs.
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The Prayer You Don’t Want Answered
I’m Dr. Bob, and for just a Mentoring Minute, I want to let you know there is a prayer that you do not want God to answer. There will be times when God asks you to enter into a new season. These times will carry a substantial change for your life. When this happens, do not even consider praying, “God, please don’t make me do this.” He might or might not honor your prayer. That is His decision. However, if you will accept His will, and move forward in obedience and trust, you can be sure His will for your life is always best. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God is faithful and His plans for you always are best. In times of change, embrace an expectation for something great from God. Trust Him for it. As you do, you will find your willingness to trust in the Lord will reward you. Here is a good way to change your prayer. Pray, “God, I will gladly move ahead, knowing you are with me and have a great plan for me. Let your will be done in my life. In Jesus name, Amen. Then move ahead with confidence, knowing the best is yet to come. I’m Dr. Bob and that’s a Mentoring Minute and a prayer that you can wrap your life around. You can listen to my previous Mentoring Minutes at www.mentoringministry.com/blogs.
The Prayer You Don’t Want Answered
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Contribution or Sacrifice?
I’m Dr. bob and for just a Mentoring Minute, I want to share a life-changing thought I received while listening to the preaching of Pastor Jamie Peters, a friend and apostle to Africa. He pointed out that though a contribution is given with good intentions (there is certainly nothing wrong with that); there is a far deeper meaning to a sacrifice than there could ever be with a contribution. Romans 12:1 (The International Children’s Bible) says, “So brothers, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him. This is the spiritual way for you to worship.” If you have been content to approach your time in church by giving a contribution (such as money, service or even praise to God), I want to encourage you to take it up a life-changing notch. Let your contribution become a sacrifice. It will get God’s immediate attention, because He will understand and value your surrender to the inconvenience, pain, or even great discomfort a sacrifice requires. Then, something supernatural will occur. The fire if God will come down. Only a sacrifice brings the fire of God. Ask Elijah or the prophets of Baal. 1 Kings 18:20-40 tells us they had firsthand knowledge of the power of a sacrifice to bring down the fire (1 Kings 18:20-40). I’m Dr. Bob and that’s my Mentoring Minute. You can listen to my previous Mentoring Minutes by going to www.mentoringministry.com/blog/
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Traffic Lights
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a Mentoring Minute, I want to ask if you have ever been frustrated with yourself because you made bad decisions? I certainly have. Sometimes, our decisions take us away from the successes for which we work so hard. At other times, it seems we are all too eager to choose what turns out to be a waste of time and effort, or may even be harmful to us or perhaps to others. I want to suggest a way you can make good decisions while avoiding bad ones. I am sure you have encountered traffic lights as you drove through the city. The way they work gives the key to hearing God’s voice and letting what He says lead you to doing the right thing. When you approach a traffic light, you are given three choices: (1) red light, (2) yellow light or (3) green light. When decision-making time comes, if you listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, He will signal you: red light means stop; yellow light means caution; green light means go. Just like with a traffic light, if you watch for and obey the Holy Spirit’s signals, you will have a safe journey, while making good decisions along the way to your blessings. I’m Dr. Bob. Contact me at www.mentoringministry.com and let’s compare how God has directed our journeys.
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A Welcome Addiction
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a Mentoring Minute I want to speak with you about a welcome addiction. Yes, we all have addictions. I have friends who cannot get the day started without those two cups of coffee. Now, I broke that habit some years ago, but still love to get near the smell of a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I cannot eat many sweets anymore, because of a health condition, but I do get my one piece of 85% dark chocolate every day. (Sometimes I cheat and take a second one, because I am drawn to it and the addiction over-rules my discipline.) This is not a commentary on addiction to various substances, good or bad. What I want to say today is that I have developed another addiction for my mornings that I love and refuse to give up. It goes something like this. “Welcome to my morning, Holy Spirit. Welcome to my day. Welcome to my heart. Welcome to everything I say and everything I do. I crave more of You today than I had yesterday. I need more of Your voice, Your touch and Your anointing. Strengthen my addiction to Your presence, dear Holy Spirit.” …I’m Dr. Bob. Perhaps you need to get hooked on a personal addiction to Him. It will take you higher than any other habit you could have. The Bible says, He is the “High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy.” (That’s Isaiah 57:15.) I invite you to get in the habit. Get high on the High and Lofty One. Contact me at Dr.Bob@mentoringministry.com and tell me about your habit of giving the Holy Spirit the first thoughts of your day. There is nothing like it.
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Don’t Avoid the Water
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a mentoring minute I want to give you what could be some timely advice. Here it is. Don’t avoid the water. What am I saying? Well, let me take you back to the days of Elijah. One day a great and powerful warrior knocked on Elijah’s door. His name was Naaman and he was afflicted with leprosy. All Naaman’s might, power and authority could not help him. He came looking for a miracle. Elijah would not even see him, but sent instructions through Gahazi, his servant to go wash in the river. Naanman was furious. He wanted his miracle and he wanted it his way. Have you known anyone like that? …After a lot of angry complaining, Naaman humbled himself and obeyed. When he went into the water, God’s healing touch cleansed him of his leprosy. What am I saying? Sometimes you have to surrender your pride to obedience and let God do things His way. Perhaps your miracle needs a bit of humility to put it into motion? If you know Christ, you have already been washed in His miracle-working blood. Now go wash off your pride. You might find your miracle is just on the other side of your obedience. I’m Dr. Bob. Contact me at Dr.Bob@mentoringministry.com and let me know how your swim in obedience felt.
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You will Never Know
You’ll never know if you never go.
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a mentoring minute, I want to ask if you were called to go, but have insisted that it had to fit into what you established as your convenient, self-serving, self-assuring timetable. I know that sounds harsh, but is it possible you might find you waited too long and required too much? Many are called and wait to long. They never realize the great gift of destiny that God had prepared for them. If you are reluctant to go, you will never know what could have been your destiny. You will only wonder at what might have been and should have been. I’m Dr. Bob. If you want to know, you’ve got to go. Contact me at Dr.Bob@mentoringministry.com and we can talk about all you can know, if only you’ll go.
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Just a Little bit Less
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a mentoring minute, I want to encourage you to ask God to help you allow just a little bit less of those things He finds offensive into your life. What am I saying? Well, make your prayers specific. Ask Him to help you put off, or remove those things that hinder or prevent you from being just a little bit more like Him, every day, in every way. Start with this advice from the Apostle Paul. In Colossians 3:8 (NKJV), he wrote, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” That is good, basic instruction to make some changes, so you can begin to experience a decrease in those things that have consistently been barriers to your blessings. I’m Dr. Bob. Write me at www.mentoringministry.com and let me know if I have encouraged you to grow, just a little bit less like the world and a little bit more like Jesus.
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Just Too Little
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a mentoring minute I want to ask you whether your thinking is just too little to take you, your hopes, your dreams and even your relationships from where they are to where they could be? What is there that holds you back from your destiny… or even just the ability to have peace in your life? I heard Dr. James Merrit say, “There are no conflicts too big to solve, just people too little to solve them.” You may need to surrender whatever keeps your life small, so God can make your life, your influence and your impact on others large. Submit to God. Surrender whatever keeps your thinking small. You will open your heart to a large portion of God’s wisdom. Then, you can take your place in the sun, because you took your place in the S-O-N, the Son of God. Be a person who grows in God until you shine for Him in a large, very bright way. Proverbs 24:3-4 says, “Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; {4} By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 4: 7-8 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. {8} Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.” I’m Dr. Bob. Contact me at www.mentoringministry.com and let me know what you think.
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Lighten the Load
I’m Dr. Bob and for just a mentoring minute, I want to ask if you ever have that sinking feeling? If so, you may need to lighten your load. Are you ready and willing to do so? I am reminded of the lesson from Acts, Chapter 27, when the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked. When the ship was sinking in the storm, sailors threw stuff overboard. They knew that if the ship was burdened with too much stuff, it was destined to sink. It is a timeless lesson. What stuff are you carrying around in your heart that gives you that sinking feeling? It can be like an anchor chained to your soul. Here is the good news. It is not too late to surrender it to God. Give it to Him and trust Him to carry the burdens for you. In Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. {29} Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. {30} For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If you will make the exchange today, you will feel like your load is so light that you can walk on the water all the way to your destiny. I’m Dr. Bob. Contact me at www.mentoringministry.com and let me know how it feels to be free of that sinking feeling.
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