Un-Clutter Your Life – sermon 31 Oct 2010

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

The definition of “clutter” is: “A crowded or confused mass or collection” or “Interfering echoes visible on a radar screen caused by reflection from objects other than the target” – Webster Dictionary.

Pro 4:20 My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all his flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a wicked mouth, and devious lips put far from you.

Our thoughts govern who we are - how we respond - and how we operate in real life situations. What are the thoughts I have of myself and about myself ?

Am I who my parents think I am ?

Am I Who My wife thinks I am ?

Am I who my teachers think I am ?

Am I who my boss thinks I am ?

Who do I think I am?

Whose report shall we believe - will we believe the report of the Lord or will we believe the liar?

We know that the Word states that the Devil is a liar so - let`s read :

Psa 139:15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. 17 Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them-- any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

Ø God knew us from the beginning - in the secret place of our mothers womb.

Ø How precious are your thoughts towards me - read aloud - emphasize ME !!!!!!

Ø When I fall asleep I am with Him and when I awake I am still with Him. He never leaves

me or forsakes me

Some of the lies (clutter) we fall for and struggle with :

1. Everything must be perfect :

The truth is:

Nobody is perfect : we all make mistakes - Some of us are driven to be perfect in everything we do - nothing wrong with excellence - but when it becomes obsession with no room for mistakes - we are out of line -

Our Self worth comes from who we are in Christ - not in what we achieve.

2. `Life should be perfect` (Marriage, work etc)

The truth is:

In life we will experience storms : Jesus warns us about storms that will come - we must be ready : our foundation must be solid in order to handle the threats and dangers of life

You will not face trouble on your own

3. The lie that you are not good enough for God to use:

Jeremiah thought he was not good enough - likewise Moses - he also thought less of himself - all sorts of excuses - God raised him up - gave him helpers.

The same God said to them He is saying to you and me: You are good enough - God knows everything about you - the weaknesses and strengths - You are not a mistake!

Un-clutter your thinking.

It is said that the Eastern shepherd, as he brings his sheep back to the fold each night, stands at the door and counts each one. As he does so, he puts his hand on the head of each animal. He makes a habit of touching each one of them. If he were to grow careless and neglect to habitually touch his sheep, it would soon turn its head away when it heard his voice! This, of course, could be very serious, for with such a broken habit would follow the animal's actually ignoring the warning shout from the shepherd and subsequently could be disastrous for the sheep.

If we are experiencing the Shepherd's touch daily in our lives, then we will recognize His voice when He warns of impending danger.

This will mean "practicing His presence" daily.

It we do not practice His presence then we have probably been practicing the presence of our enemy. Our Lord awaits the moment to "touch" our day with His presence.

Joh 10:3 The porter lets him in; and the sheep give ear to his voice; he says over the names of the sheep, and takes them out. 4 When he has got them all out, he goes before them, and the sheep go after him, for they have knowledge of his voice. 5 They will not go after another who is not their keeper, but will go from him in flight, because his voice is strange to them.

During the days of the great `sail-ships` a ship's mate once challenged a chaplain with the question, "How is it that you are always talking to my men about Jesus Christ? Did you ever see Him?" "No, I never did." "Then how can you tell a man to trust in someone you have never seen? I can't see any sense in that." "Well," replied the chaplain, "when you head for a place of refuge in a storm, what sense is there in telling your men to let go the anchor when they cannot see the ground? On what principle do you trust your ship and your life to ground you have never seen and never can see?" "Oh," said the mate, "we go by our chart." "Exactly," replied the chaplain, holding up his Bible, "and I, too, go by a chart, and it is an infallible one, while yours is not. It tells me of the only sure ground of my salvation-the atoning work of Christ upon the cross. My faith, like your anchor, takes hold of this unseen but real ground, and so rides out the storm of life in peace and safety."

Psa 1:1 Happy is the man who does not go in the company of sinners, or take his place in the way of evil-doers, or in the seat of those who do not give honour to the Lord. 2 But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and whose mind is on his law day and night. 3 He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time, whose leaves will ever be green; and he will do well in all his undertakings. 4 The evil-doers are not so; but are like the dust from the grain, which the wind takes away. 5 For this cause there will be no mercy for sinners when they are judged, and the evil-doers will have no place among the upright, 6 Because the Lord sees the way of the upright, but the end of the sinner is destruction.

At one time, that thoughtful man who became St. Augustine was greatly disturbed because he could not understand the essence of God.

"I admit there is a God," he mused, "but how can I know of what He consists?"

Christ had come down to earth with the claim that He was God. By His resurrection, which He Himself predicted, He proved that claim. He revealed that God is a Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But how could a mind as developed as that of Augustine accept this?

One day as he was walking by the sea, he saw a small boy who, with the help of a shell, was emptying water from the ocean into a hole he had dug in the sand. "What are you doing, son?" asked Augustine.

He was impressed by the naive answer, "I'm going to empty all the sea into this hole." Augustine smiled. An inner voice, however, was saying to him, "You are trying to do the same thing by thinking you can understand the depths of God with your limited mind."

A Young boy was returning home from a store with a pail of honey in his hand. A gentleman who walked beside him saw him slip one finger down into the pail. Then, because his mother had told him never to wipe his sticky fingers on his blouse or trousers, it found its only logical destination, his mouth. It really tasted good. After he had done this several times, the gentleman approached him and said, "See here, Sonny, what have you in that pail?" "Some honey, sir." "Honey-is it sweet?" "Yes, sir." "How sweet is your honey?" "It is very sweet, sir." "Well, I do not understand you. I asked you how sweet your honey was, and you have not yet told me. How sweet is it?" "Why, it is very, very sweet, sir." "Well, you are a funny little fellow; I asked you how sweet your honey is, and you just tell me it is very, very sweet. Now, can't you tell me really how sweet your honey is?" The little fellow was impatient by this time, so he stuck his finger down into the honey, and holding it up said, "Taste and see for yourself."

Psa 34:8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see-- how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him. 9 Worship GOD if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.

Relationships

Num 27:16 Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation 17 who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, so that the congregation of Jehovah may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.

It's so easy to feel offended by something someone has said or done at the office and to hold onto it for what seems a lifetime. We often can't choose the people we work with and feel trapped and frustrated when there is someone we simply don't like and can't get along with. You can't go from one job to the next until you find Utopia - it doesn't exist in the workplace. Instead of being a victim, become a victor by doing something positive about it. It means having to step out of your comfort zone. Being kind is a choice we make - being nasty however, is also a choice we make. Choose to start working on your inner peace today - by changing your behavior towards others.

Display the behavior you expect from others. In other words, if you want respect from someone, then show them respect. If you want others to have compassion for you, then show compassion to them. Intimate relationships work on the same principal. If you want trust, love and respect from your spouse or partner, then you must display those behaviors to them. It works like a boomerang - it comes back! Once you 'get' that, you will understand the basics of building relationships with anyone. Your interaction with people will improve dramatically.

	Treat everyone as equals. No matter what their position in the organization. Act as though you believe this every day and you will attract strong and successful relationships.
	Keep your intention in mind in all your dealings with others. If you find yourself feeling spiteful or resentful, let go of that and decide to be kind. Being good-natured and co-operative is a choice.
	Always say less than you think.
	When you’re with someone, be with them fully. Give them all your attention. Celebrate when they celebrate and show compassion when they’re down.
	Be considerate of other people’s feelings and consider the effect your words will have on them.
	Don’t make too many promises and keep the ones you do make.
	Show genuine interest in other people’s lives, family and pursuits.
	Give constructive feedback – only if you have the right to. Don’t be spiteful or hurtful.
	Have a good attitude and be cheerful. People avoid depressed, negative people.
	Don’t be argumentative. You may disagree without being disagreeable.
	Be considerate of other people’s feelings.
	Do not pay attention to what gossip-mongers say about you. Simply live so that nobody will believe them.
	Don’t get upset if you don’t get the recognition you want or credit when you feel it’s due. Keep doing your best – for yourself. Success is about you and your own achievements. It’s not something you should rely on from others.
	Tell others what you need and listen to what they need.
	Always be totally professional. Don’t get involved in company politics and never gossip. That way people will trust you and they will know that the information they share with you is safe.
	Spend time with your allies. Be available. Strategize, ask for opinions and advice and make sure that you occasionally have lunch together.
	Remember, what you put out is what you can expect in return – if you want respect, then show respect. If you want kindness, then show kindness, be an ally if you want alliance in return.
	Don’t fight your colleagues on small issues if you need them for much bigger support later.
	Keep your word. If you say you will do something – do it.
	Resolve issues and conflicts with people. Let them know that you have forgiven them or ask their forgiveness if you were at fault – and move on.
	Never back-stab anyone or go over their heads to their boss or your boss. Go directly to the person involved and sort out the problem or issue.

Building relationships takes time and effort and is extremely rewarding. You have to be prepared to commit yourself and expect not to always get what you want. Building bridges is one of the most fundamental and crucial of all strategies when climbing the corporate ladder. Successful people make it their business to build relationships and to heal broken ones.

Jam 2:8 If you fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.

Happiness

The dictionary describes happiness as “a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy…”

Gal 5:22 But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.

This is what I believe Heaven to be – living in a state of intense joy every day. I once read “Hell is the experience of the worst possible outcome of your choices, decisions and creations.” If that is true, then Heaven must be the experience of the best possible outcome of your choices, decisions and creations!

Happiness isn’t something that happens to us. It’s not an event. It’s a state of mind… of being. Happiness is what we choose… every day. It’s the result of our good choices, decisions and creations.

Psa 103:2 O my soul, bless GOD, don't forget a single blessing!

As long as you believe that there is someone or something out there “doing it” to you, you dis-empower yourself to do anything about it. We “do it” to ourselves. We trip ourselves up every day and we look around for the culprit, because there has to be someone out there doing it to us. It would have been easier if there were, because then we could ‘chase” them away and be happy…

It wasn’t until I accepted responsibility for myself that my life changed

Happiness and financial abundance was something that happened to others. It never happened to me.

My healing started with that realization, so I wrote down what I wanted from life and set goals to achieve it. The first step to my happiness and fulfillment was to educate myself.

It was hard, but these were my choices and I wanted it… badly!

Happiness is a choice! When I ‘got’ that, I realized that I was in control of my own life. I have the power to decide what state of mind and being I wanted - and I have the power to create it. It was one of the ‘wow!’ moments of my life. On some level, we create all our own experiences!

Joh 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by Me, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The fact is that when we make the wrong decisions and choices we have the power to re-create! For the first time in my life I really felt empowered! - I can choose what I wish to experience!

Phi 4:8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

“When we align our thoughts, emotions and actions with the highest part of ourselves, we are filled with enthusiasm, purpose and meaning. Life is rich and full. We have no thoughts of bitterness. We have no memory of fear. We are joyous and intimately engaged with our world. This is the experience of authentic power.”

Your journey towards authenticity will affect everyone around you. As you increase the energy (frequency) of your consciousness, you start reflecting love, acceptance, humbleness and forgiveness. The result of that is happiness and joy beyond description. More and more people will be affected by your authentic power, because you will draw them to you.

All you need to draw happiness into your life is the intention to make it so!

Your attitude always reflects your intentions. If you are angry, resentful or filled with fear, your intention will be to keep people away from you. If you want warmth and companionship but your unconscious intention is to keep people away from you, the experience of pain will resurface again and again until you realize that you are creating it. If your intention is to have love and happiness in your life, you will draw people to you. Your intention creates the reality that you will experience.

Mind the way you communicate with others. Speak from your authentic self and decide to resolve issues amicably.

There is a lot of mutual imitation in everyday communication (I raise my voice then you raise your voice, etc).

When we adopt a more compassionate and respectful attitude toward others, we invite and influence others to do the same toward us.

Show gratitude in every possible way that you can.

Happiness is your birthright.

Un-Clutter Your Life (2)

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

The definition of “clutter” is: “A crowded or confused mass or collection” or “Interfering echoes visible on a radar screen caused by reflection from objects other than the target” – Webster Dictionary.

Pro 4:20 My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all his flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a wicked mouth, and devious lips put far from you.

Our thoughts govern who we are - how we respond - and how we operate in real life situations. What are the thoughts I have of myself and about myself ?

Am I who my parents think I am ?

Am I Who My wife thinks I am ?

Am I who my teachers think I am ?

Am I who my boss thinks I am ?

Who do I think I am?

Whose report will we believe - will we believe the report of the Lord or will we believe the lyer ?

We know that the Word states that the Devil is a liar so - let`s read :

Psa 139:15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day. 17 Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them-- any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!

God knew us from the beginning - in the secret place of our mothers womb.

How precious are your thoughts towards me - read aloud - emphasize ME !!!!!!

When I fall asleep I am with Him and when I awake I am still with Him. He never leaves me or forsakes me

Some of the lies (clutter) we fall for and struggle with :

Everything must be perfect : The truth is - nobody is perfect : we all make mistakes - Some of us are driven to be perfect in everything we do - nothing wrong with excellence - but when it becomes obsession with no room for mistakes - we are out of line -

Our Self worth comes from who we are in Christ - not in what we achieve.

`Life should be perfect` (Marriage, work etc)

The truth is:

In life we will experience storms : Jesus warns us about storms that will come - we must be ready : our foundation must be solid in order to handle the threats and dangers of life

You will not face trouble on your own

You are good enough for God to use:

Jeremiah thought he was not good enough - likewise Moses - he also thought less of himself - all sorts of excuses - God raised him up - gave him helpers.

The same God said to them He is saying to you and me: You are good enough - God knows everything about you - the weaknesses and strengths - You are not a mistake!

Un-clutter your thinking.