* What we are doing here Leonardo is the grandest idea of Christian Fellowship. Believers coming together to encourage each other’s faith in Christ. “OneAnotherness” is spoken of over a hundred times in the New Testament. God Delights when his children work as the body of Christ and strengthen one another.
* Leonardo, A wonderful thing about worshipping Christ is that not only was He a literal, real historical figure who made amazing claims of Truth and divinity. But Christ is a very living reality today in our lives, through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. Make sure to plug into the Holy Spirit when you read the scriptures, so that the living Christ can fill you with the greatest amount of knowledge, spiritual light and life, as you read.
* Leonardo, one of the most important things about growing in Christ. Is being consistent in faithfulness. There is literally a chain of obedience and Disobedience. The more you do wrong, the easier it is to slide that direction. And the more you do right, the more a good habit and reinforced positive behavioral tendency is enforced. Always do the next right thing is a very simple way to make sure you’re a where God wants you to be!
* Leonardo, I don’t know what you’re going through but my heavenly father does. So I’ll pray in the holy spirit that you will accept the guidance that he would bring to you now. God uses people in our lives. But always to turn us directly to Him. It is not that God needs or must use any man. He wants to deal with us directly. I pray that you see this. It is the most incredible thing about our heavenly Father. When I tell people about Christ and that He will speak to their heart. I don’t have to wonder. In some way God will wean you away from sources to make sure you are dependent on Him. He will allow people to help, to guide, to influence.. But ultimately He wants to be your source of strength Himself. Leonardo, when any kind of experience can pull us away from him oh, God is allowing the circumstance to occur to tell us that we need him more. Sometimes we want things from God. When God wants us to want he Himself, more than anything he can supply. Prayers for you. Slam
* Leonardo, this is very important. Very very very important. Regardless of how you feel, regardless of the problems you face, I want you to try to aim at living your day for the primary purpose of praising God. When you get up in the morning praise him and thank him for the new day. If your thoughts stray remember that you should be praising God through the day. And as the day concludes, even if it was a tough day thank God for the strength to make it through it. Very very very important Leonardo. Let the purpose of each day for the next seven days be the praise God. You don’t have to tell anybody. You don’t have to be seen.. If you start to feel downcast or you feel worried or upset. Let that be a moment when the lights Flash and the bells ring and immediately begin to praise God anyway. In spite of the challenges. And praise Him from your heart. Praise him as if the burning bush is right in front of you and you want to make sure that God knows that you love Him. For the next 7 days I want the purpose of each day to be to praise God in front of, and above all else. Please tell me you will do this.
PS. One more thing. And this is also very important. If you are in your car or by yourself, praise God out loud. Praise Him as if he were physically standing in front of you and listening. Better yet, praise Him as if He were standing up on a hill and you had to shout for Him to hear you. Do this out loud! You will be in places you cannot do this sometimes, but if you are where you can praise God out loud from the bottom of your heart, do so! no matter what the circumstances of the day are. Praise God with all your being!
Again let me know you will do this please.
* I often heard it said that there were two kinds of friends. There were the Sunny Day friends who were there when everything was going great. But then the true friend was the one who was there on the rainy day. The Rainy Day friends were the friends to be sought after. Jesus is the Rainy Day friend who can turn our hearts into a sunny day outlook. That’s why Jesus said I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. It’s not always that God changes our circumstances. He changes us. So that our circumstances look different and more favorable and sunny. He changes us from the inside out!
* Leonardo, It is well said that we need an attitude of gratitude. It was when Paul and Silas were singing hymns of Praise in the prison cells. That an earthquake shook the place and freed them. Praise is like that. It makes the toughest circumstance seem bearable. Praise lifts our heart into the very presence of the throne room of God. It translates us from what may be nearly unbearable in Human Experience, into unimaginable joy in our Heavenly Father’s presence.
* Leonardo, For me prayer is like electric current. By God’s grace it is always flowing in my heart. I think that’s what 1st Thessalonians 5:17 means by “pray without ceasing.” It should be an ongoing current in our life, not just an occasional duty. It should flow through us like the blood through our veins. Similarly, so should the scriptures “flow” through us.
* Leonardo, The Bible is one of the few things on the earth that is both diagnostic and healing. It will show you what’s wrong and how to fix it. Sometimes when you go to the Scriptures it is with the purpose in mind that you want God to show you what needs to be done. And other times when you go to the Scriptures it is with the heart purpose of how to repair a faulty area in your life. That is what is meant when the Bible calls itself a two-edged sword. It will both show you what’s wrong and how to fix it. It cuts both ways.
* Leonardo, many people think of Salvation as a one-time experience. Something that happened to them long ago. I have learned that salvation is a daily experience. Sozo is a progressive term. Salvation really means to be being saved. It is not enough to give ourself at one time to God. We need to give ourselves to him daily. Each of us has room in our hearts to love Him more. I preach this to me, you and everyone I meet. How’s your scripture reading going?
* Your encouragement tonight Leonardo is as follows. The living God stands guard to help his children. Prayers and answers are real. Angelic hosts are genuine. And the Holy Spirit is mighty! When you pray stretch out your heart and mind and faith believing that God will meet you in your need and change your circumstance but more importantly your heart! Give yourself completely away to Jesus and Reckless abandon. He matters Above All Else. Get your priorities straight and focus on Jesus!
* It comes to me this morning to tell you something. Sometimes we can have work. And sometimes work has us. In the case of the latter, we sometimes have to change our work… and live by Design not by reaction // oops. Just invented another #slamism thinking about you brother. You may regret the day that you asked me to do this. Because I don’t give up easy and I’m like a bulldog, when it comes to helping a friend. I don’t backup.
* Father, I pray in the name of Jesus for my brother Leonardo. He faces challenging challenges and circumstances that are very difficult. With You Father, we can face anything. With your help and strength, the bigger the problem, the more certain your help and empowering. Please help Leonardo to see, sense and be sure in his heart that You are with him. Give him an amazing confidence and clarity about your purposes and plans. So that no matter what difficult circumstances this world brings his way, he senses Your Eternal and abiding truth. And the more difficult the world circumstances – may He feel the ever more present reality of Your Love, Grace, mercy and care.
* I don’t know if this exactly sounds like an inspiration for you today. But I just want to remind you Leonardo don’t try to figure God out. Stay out of your head and in your heart.
* Leonardo, Sometimes I wish I could rigorously rip the Reigns of my life from the greedy hands of self once and for all. But alas, this battle must be faced daily. And it is never any easier than the day it was before. Perhaps the wonderful and gracious Spirit of God is more alive in me. But I never cease to be amazed at the recklessness of my own human nature. The work of Salvation is truly a marvelous occurrence. Because God does in us that which we have no hope whatsoever of doing without his gracious empowering and strength. I may be self-aware. But I wish that there was less of self to be aware of……
Leonardo, seek and you will find. There is a deeper well of salvation than most people ever find to drink from.
* I guess I would need the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the courage of Daniel, and the heart of David to answer that one Leonardo.. I have learned that acceptance is a key not to be overwhelmed by life’s difficulty. It’s only that which we cannot accept, that becomes so painful that we cannot endure it. I hope that helps. I pray everyday.
* God grant me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change. The courage to change that which I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.
* Brother what I have discovered. Is that even though God is omnipresent and He is always with us. That there is a special and deliberate presence of the Lord, when we request His presence. It’s the difference in knowing someone’s in the room and engaging & communicating with the person in the room. One way they’re just there and the other way they are a vital part of your life and experience..
* Bless you bunches Leonardo. Your inspirational thought for the day is that. This evening as I was taking a walk, it occurred to me how I literally needed to invite Christ to take that walk with me. And it further occurred to me that this is so much of what we need in life is to ask Christ to take the walk we take in life, with us. It’s not just knowing that he’s there. But inviting him to be there with you. So make sure as you go through your day that you specifically ask Christ to lead, guide & God and accompany. You will find it makes a great difference!
* Leonardo, I was thinking about what inspiration for your scripture reading that I would share with you tonight. And it came to me to share with you that the most wonderful thing about a genuine and deep relationship with Christ is that he is not only with us on the mountain. But he is also with us in the valley. And that’s when we need him the most.
* Leonardo, 2nd Timothy 3 15 declares that the scriptures purpose is to make us wise unto salvation. Therefore I suggest that you read the Bible specifically to look for God’s salvific message in what you are reading. It’s not just to read it and it’s not just to try to figure it out or understand it. It’s to see how God is speaking to your heart through the verses, about your salvation and drawing closer to Him. Remember before you read to aim and let the purpose of your reading be to draw closer to the author of the book. And the author is: Our Father God and His precious son, our Lord and Savior Jesus.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 