Devotions - Prayer
FORGIVENESS verses UNFORGIVENESS!
Forgiveness is probably the most difficult act we do, as humans–it is a God-like trait to be forgiving. It takes faith to forgive those who have offended us. Remember, among Jesus’ last words on the cross–“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
This morning, in prayer I was reminded of the last two weeks of communication with so many people in so many different situations and the one most common conversation we all had was: FORGIVENESS verses UNFORGIVENESS!
*So here goes a short thought on what I believe is one of the major problems we ALL phase in one area or another!
FORGIVENESS verses UNFORGIVENESS!
What are some Biblical verses to see what Jesus says:
* Matthew 6:13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. (From the Lord’s Prayer).
*Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
* Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
*Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
*Romans 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.
Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
*Christ sets is free!
My favorite Two verses and most convicting to me is:
1. Mark 11:25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
*Forgiveness – God loves us so much that He sent Christ to surrender his life so we might be free from sin. He also promised us grace to see us through; but as mortals we fall short of His glory and He is quick to forgive when we repent. As sons of God, we should learn to forgive, though the hurt is hard to forget.
*Just because I can’t forget the hurt someone posed on me doesn’t mean I don’t forgive them. I forgive, move on with my life and wait for God to bless and heal me. Not forgetting keeps you from getting hurt the same way again and makes you grow spiritually. Amen
2. Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
*What this verse is trying to explain is that we as humans need to be KIND, TENDER and FORGIVING to each other SO we can be more like Christ Because Christ is kind and forgiving to ALL of us. We cannot be hateful and unforgiving and be with Christ the one and only Lord. GOD GAVE ALL-HIS SON JESUS!
*Our body is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:24-26
** FORGIVENESS: Giving of the resentment against someone and our right to get even, no matter what has been done to us.
*Forgiveness is the “Surrendering of MY Right” to hurt you back if you hurt me.
** UNFORGIVENESS: The deliberate willful refusal to give up one’s resentment an right to get the wrong done.
The Nature of Unforgiveness is like a match that can be lit at any time.
* Nothing good can come from unforgiveness.
* Unforgiveness leads to bitterness, bitterness will eat away at our soul like acid in a paper cup.
The Scripture is Clear Concerning God’s View of Unforgiveness.
** The Terrible Consequences of Unforgiveness: (As humans we All try to come up with reasons to try to justify bitterness and unforgiveness).
* Develop a spirit of bitterness. (Hebrews 12:15)
** Unforgiveness has a harmful effect upon every aspect of your spiritual life.
* Prayer life is affected. (MATT 6:14-15)
* By praying and not forgiving we develop a callousness to the spirit of God, deceiving ourselves (1 JOHN 1:8)
** Unforgiveness has a detrimental effect upon one’s physical health.
*Heart problems, high blood pressure, etc. all documented.
* I would say through years of listening to people that 90% of people that seek counseling have an unforgiving spirit.
**Unforgiveness affects all other relationships.
* A child that sees unforgiveness and anger in their parents goes through life and sees that exhibited in their own life later in life.
*Unforgiveness begets bitterness; the things just like itself: hurt, pain, more deep-seated unforgiveness.
**Unforgiveness gives Satan a foothold in our lives.
*Each time we do not forgive Satan’s foothold gets a little deeper.
THE KEY IS: HOW DO WE DEAL WITH UNFORGIVENESS!
*Paul said, lay aside the things that pull you down. (HEB 12:1) He would not have said that if it was not possible through Christ.
Unforgiveness– IT. IS. A. DECISION. YOU MUST LAY IT DOWN.
1. Treat it as a serious offense in the eyes of God.
2. Assume full responsibility for your unforgiving spirit.
3. Confess your resentment
*Don’t just confess “Unforgiveness”. Be Honest with God about what you really FEEL(He knows your thoughts. And heart and motives anyway): do you want vengeance? Do you want to get even? Do you want to harm someone?
4. Acknowledge it is un-Christ-like, violation of the Word!!
5. Ask God to enable you to forgive.
6. Ask God to forgive you.
7. Begin praying for the other person. (LUKE 6:28)
8. If they are aware may have to ask them to forgive you.
* if the Holy Spirit leads you–go to them and tell them, this is what happened and I nurtured a heart of bitterness. I want to ask you to forgive me for my heart of bitterness. Will you forgive me?
9. Ask God if He would have you do something specific on behalf of the other person. Act of kindness.
10. Suppose reminded of hurt, don’t give in; Satanic trap. Thank God for his forgiveness.
11. If the other person is not alive address with God.
Prayer is that master key that unlocks all the blessings promised us by our Father. Though the vision may tarry, wait for it. So many of us want instant answers to prayers, but Gods time is the best. Whenever we pray, believe that God is able to keep His promises; and that promise is ‘God will supply all your needs according to His riches through Christ Jesus.
*Miracles happen every second. Some people are just blind to see. I don’t know what you are going through, but I know who will see you through. JESUS!
** How will you know you have truly forgiven the other person?
1. Feelings about the other person.
2. Feelings of concern, caring.
3. Willing to accept them as they are.
4. Seek the Lord to understand why they acted the way they did.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
*God really does heal our broken hearts, and make us clean again.
” This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”1 John 4:10-11
Lord, we NEED YOU!!! COME and take over my life!! I surrender ALL to YOU JESUS! REVEAL my True HURTS! I want to be HEALED! RELEASE the people involved, the ones I know and don’t Know. Lord, REFOCUS me on Your plan for MY life with no more unforgiveness in my heart. Set me FREE Lord, knowing You are in Control and have our Best interests in mind for your Glory and our Joy. Thank You For Guiding Us Through This Darkness To YOUR Light.
Thank you for Your promise of Psalms 32:8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen.
OTHER VERSES:
Romans 12:20
Luke 6:35-38
Proverbs 20:22
John 13:34-4:8
Do we need a Foot Washing?
*We are to help people come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
God’s Love is as necessary to human life as the air we breathe or the water we drink.
* “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.”Psalm 42:1
God’s Love eternally embraces the poor, the afflicted, the broken and the unlovely.
* “…the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners…”Isaiah 61:1
We are to take up the towel of God’s mercy and go to that hurting one.
* In the special love of Jesus we are not to judge him, expose him, lecture or find fault.
* Instead we are to commit to being his friend. We are to help him come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
“And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
If you want to be kindhearted—to take up the towel to restore a brother or
sister—you do not need to know the details of how that person got dirty.
*Jesus did not ask His disciples, “How did you get such filthy feet?” He wanted
only to get the dust off of them. His love for them was unconditional.
Likewise, those who walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ must have this
Attitude of love toward those with dirty feet. We are not to ask for details.
Instead, we are to say, “Let me wash your feet.”
Too often Christians want to dive into all the gory details of a situation.
They come to a believer who has dirty feet, saying, “I want to wash your feet.
BUT tell me, what happened? How’d you get so dirty?”
At some point in the story of failure, the curious comforter realizes, “Oh, my,
this is worse than I thought. I can’t get involved in this.” And after a few
more details, he comes to the end of his puny human mercy.
** He judges the person as too evil, beyond help, and he drops his towel and goes his way.
***We cannot wash feet in a judge’s robes. *We have to take off our self-righteous garments before we can do any cleansing.
Paul says we are to be gentle and patient with all people:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Paul is saying, “You must be tenderhearted with everyone, willing to wash their feet. God will have mercy on them and deliver them from their sin.”
In a famous passage in John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of His disciples. He told them “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
The disciples were twelve men beloved of God—precious in His eyes, full of
love for His Son, pure of heart, in full communion with Jesus. Yet they had
dirt on their feet!
Jesus, in essence, was saying to these men, “Your hearts and hands are clean,
but your feet are not. They have become dirty in your daily walk with Me. You do not need your whole body to be washed—only your feet.”
**The dirt Jesus mentions here has nothing to do with natural dirt. It is about SIN—our faults and failures, our giving in to temptations.
I wonder how many of us this past week fell into a temptation or failed God in some way?
It is not that we have turned our
back on the Lord. On the contrary, we love the Savior more passionately than
ever, BUT we fell and now we are grieving—because our feet are dirty.
Scripture tells us: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who
are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
The Greek word for trespass here
means “a fall, a sin.” We are to restore every Christian who falls into sin
if there is a repentant heart.
Foot washing, in its deepest meaning, has to do with our Attitude about the
dirt we see on our brother or sister. So I ask you: What do you do when you are
face to face with someone who has fallen into a sin or transgression?
As Jesus served His disciples, He calls us to serve others. He is calling us to see people through the eyes of God and with His love meet their needs.
But how?
(John 13: 3) Jesus was profoundly anchored in the love of the Father. His identity was secure.
We need a radical receiving of His love!
** We need to be Filled with God’s love (our cup overflowing) in order to give others our richness of love.
Jesus was teaching us how important it is to Humble ourselves before one another and also that we are all equal in Gods eyes. He said that we are to love one another unconditionally– this is how we will know the ones who are called and annointed of God. They will be Love.
1 John 2:9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
Jesus, You showed true humility by washing the disciples feet. Jesus, Help each one of us to be more humble this day and follow Your example of Truth and Love so others may be set FREE for Your Glory. Amen
Mark 9:41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
GOD DELIGHTS IN MERCY
” But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!).”( Ephesians 2:4-5)
Psalm 103:17 But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
*God’s commandments are not intended to make us miserable–they’re meant for our own happiness. Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God’s motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5).
*Let us remember the good things God has done and how much He loves us.
Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.
* Despite of your hardships and slips ups– you are still here. The reason you are still here is because God Is ABLE.
* No matter what lies ahead it will be well because God is still able.
***God is still able:
1. To keep us from falling.
He is able to keep you from falling right Now. God will keep you if you want to be kept. You got to fight for your faith.
2. To present us faultless.
We will be presenting faultless because we been redeemed. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can bring us this. It never loses its power. Hold on and hang on.
3. To keep us faithful.
*The same God with you every month is still Able. Who was with you through rough times is still Able. Hang in there, he’s still able.
None of us deserve the mercy of the Lord. Not one of us walking the earth deserve His mercy- BUT because He loves us so much, The Father shows us mercy. What is mercy?
*Mercy is compassion, kindness, favor!
Even when some of us went our own way and committed unspeakable sins the Lord had mercy on us.
*Today if you are reading this devotion it is because of the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon those that fear Him, upon those that reverence are in awe of Him.
The Lord’s mercy never ends. That’s what everlasting means it goes on and on.
We should be Living Grateful and Thankful Lives unto God the Father, even some of us who are not walking with God as we should be.
We must, be grateful that He allows us to open our eyes and see another day, another day to turn our hearts to Him completely.
“11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. “(Hebrews 12:11).
God is talking about disciplining His own heart here, as well as ours. His are
not joyous to Him, but grievous and painful. Yet when God moves in to judge, He hovers over His children as He disciplines (chastens) them.
**God looks for even the slightest
sign of sorrow or repentance and He lets up at the first inkling of one.
**God longs to say, “Enough—no more. It pains Me too much to punish you.”
We must come to grips with this matter of God’s pain. When others are
trying to hurt you, you have to bring your thoughts into captivity, and say,
“Oh, Lord, let me pray for my enemies, for those who are trying to wound me.”
God loves the most wicked, vile sinner on the street and if He loves that
person, how much more does He love the Christian who hurts you and has made himself your enemy?
Perhaps you have an idea by now of how far we are from the heart of God. We have so much yet to learn of His heart.
No, God does not delight in judgment. He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, nor in His disciplining of His children. On the contrary, it pains Him awfully.
Let me tell you what the Lord delights in:
” Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (Micah7:18-19).
Thank God for His great compassion, available to all. He delights in mercy!
Pay attention to the rhythm of life as you endeavor to move in the flow of the Lord’s Spirit. If you try to make things happen instead of waiting for opportunities to come to you, you will get out of the flow and become unfruitful. Trust the Lord to put you in proper position to complete your assignments in the perfect order of your responsibilities and giftings. Be bold; be strong, for the Lord is with you.
** Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
* Our lives are short and will be forgotten. Only God and His love is everlasting.
*God loves mercy. It is His specialty according to His Word. I am so grateful for His mercy and grace.
God, thank you for having mercy on us and loving us. Thank you for giving us life and for creating us. Help me to use my short time on earth to honor You and share You with others. Keep me focused and not tempted by distractions.
Father, thank You that when You came into my life, You granted me wisdom from above. Teach me to listen and live by the wisdom You give through Your Word. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”
(2 Thess. 2:16-17)
Amen
Gen. 19:16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful.
Though God loves us while we’re yet sinners, His Love relentlessly guides us toward wholeness in Him.
**” I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD.”
Hosea 2:19-20
* God’s love for us is unrelenting & unconditional. He doesn’t see us as we are, BUT what we can/will be.
*Gods way isn’t always the easiest way but the Best Way!!
*God will never stop loving, pursuing us. Surrender yourself to Him! “FREEDOM”
** The Pull of Sin and The Power of God
” Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, OLORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:13-14
I think we have all been here at one time or another. Due to the pull and power of sin on our flesh, we struggle with some behavior that we know is not pleasing to God.
Some really do struggle with gossip, negative attitudes, anger issues, pornography, adultery, and lying to mention a few.
*These sins are ALL controllable and yet they along with others pull on our flesh.
The Psalmist calls them deliberate sins; which could mean they are premeditated in one way or another.
The Psalmist gives to us, I believe, a key component to overcoming this battle. It is found in the word “meditation.” The Psalmist prayer was to have the meditations of his heart acceptable before God.
God certainly gives to each of us a free will, we are not puppets on a string. So, may God strengthen our ability to meditate upon Him because in doing so, He helps us to rise above sinful desires.
We meditate and He defeats. So stop trying to do what you can’t do (defeat) and work on what you can do (meditate).
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Sin is Also a “double pain” to God — The first part of God’s “double pain” is when we sin in His presence, against His light and love. The sin itself is not what grieves God, however, but the fact that He knows the consequences of our sin. God knows our sin is going to drive us to grief and misery!!!
The second part of God’s “double pain” is that our sin compels Him to keep His
Word in judging us. He has to stand by like a loving father and listen to our
cries of anguish as He disciplines us—ALL for the purpose of producing Godly
character in us!!!
At one time I came to a crisis—to the end of my rope. Slanderous things were
being said about me and after this had gone on for some time, I began to remind God of His Word:
* “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:9).
** Lord you know my heart and I cannot fool you. Renew my mind my Lord, make me anew so that I will know what is right and act on it.
* “A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful (destructive) tongue” (17:4).
** It is not only wrong to be the one gossiping but just as wrong to listen to gossip and slander!
**Make sure your goals line up with God’s.
After some time, I cried out in despair: “Oh, God, how long will You let this
go on? The lies keep changing so much, I don’t even know what they are from day to day.
God, You are my defender and You say You will avenge Your people. But
I don’t see You working any justice.”
There are many righteous people today who are enduring awful trials because evil words are being spoken against them.
“Why, Lord?” I prayed. “Why do You continue allowing Your people to be hurt?”
The Lord answered “David, I am merciful, longsuffering and slow to anger because it pains Me to mete out My justice. If you could feel My pain, you would never, ever, desire to see My judgment fall. You would understand why I wait so long to bring it down. You know how painful it is to discipline your
children. It is the same for Me. It pains Me to chasten those I love!”
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
*The primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, but to give us eternal life.
Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultimate purpose of reconciling man to God.
If someone believes that Jesus died for their sins but doesn’t go on to enter into the close fellowship with God that Jesus made available, then they are missing eternal life.
Eternal life is not a length of life, but rather a quality of life. Eternal life is intimacy with the Father and Jesus (Jn. 17:3).
Many people have been done a disservice in being told that Jesus came to forgive us of our sins “period’. If it had been all that He did, it would have been wonderful–and much more than we deserved–but much less than what He actually accomplished.
Today, take full advantage of your salvation and go beyond the basic forgiveness of your sins into intimacy with Almighty God.
Be careful what you share with others. Your words will either build up or tear down everyone who hears you. Expressing your worry, discouragement, disappointment, and anger will result in defiling those around you, and you will be held accountable for every negative or idle word spoken. (Mt. 12:36) Set a new standard for yourself to only speak as led by the Spirit, and refuse to backbite, gossip, Lie, criticize, judge, or tear people down. The Lord is calling us, His Church, to a new spiritual level that can only be attained through righteousness and integrity. Don’t miss the opportunities to access these greater heights.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
*Why is our tongue so important? What makes it do powerful?
*** The tongue reveals our sin.
*My new goal is to not handle myself like unbelievers when I am faced with problems, temptations to sin and stressful situations– BUT to be an example of a victorious overcoming believer— because people are watching me and I don’t want my actions to turn people away from God! I pray that God helps me be an example of faith everyday! And Know–We fight From Victory–Not for Victory! (1 John 4:4).
*David knew that I can be the biggest obstacle in my walk with Christ. I do not see my own faults nearly as well as I see others. This is why David asks God to declare him innocent of these. I pray that God will do the same for me.
* My power to keep from sinning is limited, but I can do all things through Christ. I need to remember to ask the Lord to keep my words and heart focused on Jesus!!!
Lord Forgive the sins I fail to see and keep me from hurting You and others by feeling my desires are more important than loving You and my brother or sister. God,There are things in my mind that seem innocent, but could be discerned as an error. I am aware that hidden faults exists – please help me continue in Your Word and stay on the course! Not only forgive my hidden faults, but keep me from those willful ones as well — although I may be tempted — please don’t let them rule over me so I can be innocent of great SINS. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Read MoreYou are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* ” So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded.” Deuteronomy 10:16
**YOU ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD!
Picture yourself standing before God’s throne with no excuse, no alibi.
* Satan, your legal adversary, is reading off the list of charges, with times, places, every shameful detail. He makes accusations of pride, prayerlessness,
covetousness, unfaithfulness, and your heart smites you because you have to
admit, “Yes, that’s me. I did it all.”
It looks hopeless for you. You know God’s eyes are too holy to look upon sin,
and His justice demands that you pay for your crimes against His holiness. You
are helpless.
BUT suddenly, here comes JESUS, your Lawyer, your Advocate. He stretches forth His nail-scarred hands and you know something is about to happen.
**JESUS smiles and whispers, “Don’t be afraid; none of these charges will stand. You’re going to walk out of this courtroom free and fully pardoned. When I’m finished, your accuser won’t have ONE charge left against you!”
**Best of all, JESUS, your Lawyer tells you He has adopted you as His brother. Then He tells you He is the Son of the Judge so you now belong to the Judge’s family, as well!
But there is still the matter of justice. What about the charges against you?
You listen in absolute wonder as your Advocate pleads your case:
*”Judge, You know that I fulfilled the law, living a sinless life.
*And then I took this person’s place, taking on all the punishment for his crimes.
* Through these nail-scarred hands and My pierced side, blood came forth to blot out ALL of his transgressions.
* All these charges were put on My back and I, JESUS paid the penalty for every one of them.”
Your Advocate then looks at your accuser and says, “Satan, you have no grounds to accuse My child. Each of his sins was placed on Me and I have fully pardoned them ALL.
He is not guilty because his faith in the victory of My sacrifice gives him full pardon. You have no case!”
“NOT GUILTY”!-Yes-“NOT GUILTY”!
As the devil slinks out of God’s court, you can hear the Lord cry out: “Who
shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans
8:33).
*The Lord chose you and will keep you.
* When you turn your heart over to Jesus– He says, “Your debt, created by your sin is paid in full and you need not make any more payments on it! Final Verdict– Not Guilty—Go in Peace”!
We have mistakenly given Satan too much credit. He does not have a limitless number of temptations that he can pull on us.
As 1 Jn. 2:16 says, there are three areas where the devil tempts us:
(1) the lust of the flesh,
(2) the lust of the eyes,
(3) the pride of life.
Jesus’ three temptations correspond to these.
By ascribing to Satan limitless temptations and abilities, we have built up our adversary to be bigger than he is. The truth is, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (I Cor. 10:13).
Satan would like you to think that he is tougher than he really is. One of his greatest weapons is Intimidation, BUT he has been defeated. His teeth have been pulled— Now he can only roar as a lion seeking to devour uninformed souls who don’t know their authority in Christ (1 Pet. 5:8).
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”. (Gal. 6:9)
You will find yourself glancing back at past things for a moment before moving forward. However, there will be a temptation to relive old rejections and places of isolation and loneliness. **Refuse to allow these memories to cause you to get stuck in oppression or condemnation.
**The past has no power unless you remember so clearly that you put yourself in the same situation again.
*But, the purpose of looking back is to see how far you’ve come and how much you have overcome.
* Rejoice in this opportunity to take stock before taking the next step moving forward. You are an overcomer!
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Since Jesus was the Word of God (Jn. 1:1), anything he would have spoken would have been the Word.
Jesus could have said “scat” and the devil would have had to go, yet He quoted the written Word of God three times. (Matthew 4:1-11).
This gives us great assurance that the written Word of God is sufficient for us. Jesus, in the face of the greatest temptations that Satan had to offer, did not need to say anything that was not already recorded in scripture.
It is likely that when Jesus returns to this earth and destroys His enemies, He will just speak the Word that has already been given in scripture. No wonder Satan tries to keep us from studying and knowing God’s Word.
* Even our good works will hurt us if they keep us from really knowing the scriptures.
God has given us this mighty weapon of His Word! When we speak the Word in faith, hell shakes. Satan and his minions have already experienced what the Word can do. They know its power. We need to know it, too.
1John 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
Knowing God loves us is the only thing that will give us true identity and security in this life.
* “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…” Psalm 73:25
Lord, Thank You for allowing me to dwell In Your Strength, and Your Power, and Your Might. Because your strength is in me I am blessed! (Psalm 84:5). Because YOUR strength in me, I can do all things! Because I have put on Your whole Armour (Faith, Truth, Peace, Righteousness, Salvation, Spirit, The Word), I am able to stand against the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:11-17). For Greater are You that is in me that he that is in the world.
Lord, As I travel on this journey of life, You sometimes send me up mountains and through the valley of weeping. But You also provide comfort while passing through the valley of weeping by making it a well and providing rain as nourishment to restore my soul.(Psalm 84:6) You provide me direction and protection. You show me your goodness. You give me grace,mercy and glory. You promise not to withhold one good thing from me as long as I abide in you, obey you and trust you. (Psalm 84:11-12). These trials along the journey only take me from strength to strength and one day my journey will end at your throne! Praise Your Name! (Psalm 84:7)
AMEN
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God”.(Matthew 5:23-24).
*”Christians are to be reconciled, whatever it takes…
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
*Wise speech needs to be careful, humble, gentle, timely and truthful (get rid of half truths)
* A pure heart overflows into pure truthful speech.
Avoiding Conflict!!!
Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (2 Sam 14:23-24).
Wow. This is a sad time. David’s own son, Absalom, rises up in conspiracy against him.
Many people hate conflict to the point they will Never confront a wrong.
*Taking this path will only lead to later hardship. Such was the case for Absalom and his father King David.
Amnon, also a son of David, raped his sister Tamar. When this happened, David was furious but he did not punish Amnon for his actions.
Absalom saw this as a terrible injustice for his sister. So, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon at the right time. He patiently waited for two years before he set up a situation to have him killed.
David was heartbroken over the death of Amnon and held Absalom responsible. At the same time, David still desired to have a relationship with Absalom, but because he failed to address the situation with Amnon when it happened, it led to more serious consequences in the family(Absalom was NOT repremanded for his actions, nor his choices.)
* Absalom was banished for three years because of David’s anger towards him which allowed seeds of resentment to grown in his heart.
*Absalom then conspired to overthrow David’s kingdom.
It is imperative to confront problems WHEN they arise no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
* David didn’t go all the way in reconciliation and it hurt him. We need to Learn from history and go the extra mile in reconciliation attempts.
We are called to speak the truth in love.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph 4:15-16).
*Failure to confront in love allows the enemy to sow greater seeds of conflict.
****BUT Hard Truth can forsake truth. Love without God’s leading can betray truth. What a delicate Balance between truth and love.
It’s clear from this story and others that David had a problem with forgiveness. It was easier for him to kill someone who brought him bad news than forgive them of their wrong. He didn’t want to see Absalom face to face because he couldn’t bring himself to forgive him for three years. That lack of forgiveness planted the seeds that later led to disaster. It’s a lesson for all of us as we can easily fall into temptation to the same pride that ignores our own sinfulness and pushes us to pass judgment on those who sin against us. As James so eloquently reminds us, we have no business passing judgment on others when we ourselves can barely get through a day without sinning.
Is there someone in your life that you need to confront in love? Make plans now to get with this person and work through the issues that divide you and have True forgiveness in your heart.
* Let’s let the Holy Spirit search our heart over situations in our life where there is unfinished conflict and seek to go the extra — to finish it up.
Biblical Ways to Love in Truth:
*Listen without interrupting.Proverbs 18
*Speak without accusing. James 1:19
*Give without sparing. Proverbs 21:26
*Pray without ceasing. Colossians 1:9
*Answer without arguing. Proverbs 17:1
*Share without pretending. Eph. 4:15
*Enjoy without complaint. Philip. 2:14
*Trust without wavering. Corin. 13:7
*Forgive without punishing. Col. 3:13
*Promise without forgetting. Prov. 13:13
Refuse to allow presumption to cloud your discernment. You should never act, react, respond, or take your next step based on what YOU assume is truth. If you are uncertain about an issue or circumstance, take the time to investigate and discover the facts. Just because your conclusion seems reasonable does not make it true. And, presumption will plunge you into the darkness of deception. Stay in the Light and Truth, and maintain confidence in the word as you follow Jesus precepts.
Psalms 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous/deliberate sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
*Most people: Remember the things that ought to be forgotten and forget the things that ought to be remembered.
*Empty the trash. Stop thinking about it.
*Jesus died to set you free. Accept it.
“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him”. 2 Samuel 14:14
*You only need one funeral in your life, *NOTHING deserves a daily funeral.
*Look at your past as spilt water on the ground. Just a damp spot.
*Remind yourself the BEST is yet to come!
*You’ve been moved out and have stepped into the biggest blessing of your life! Just wave good bye, because you are who God says you are-HIS MASTERPIECE! (Eph. 2:10).
**Isn’t it wonderful experiencing Gods love!!!!
*Let us pray for a pure heart, let us be Spirit directed toward Holiness as He is Holy.
Father help me to always be mindful of the difference between trusting in Your love and Your promises and presuming I have some special insight or preferred standing. God, put those relationships I have with some conflict in my mind and please don’t let them go. Help me to push through and finish my part. Don’t let me let things go unfinished. Thank You for Your Truth, Your Love Your Hope and Your Freedom. Jesus You are the Way, The Truth and the Life, help me to Love as You Love have loved me for Your Glory. Amen
*When we stay in the past we become stuck and unable to move forward.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
You’ll make progress in some areas of your life but are they the areas that you care most about?
Are they the areas that mean the most to you?
Most of us would love to move forward in certain areas of our life but let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes we are so used to thinking a certain way that we can’t seem to make a first definite step, even though we know deep down in our hearts that it’s the right thing to do.
You can miss your life striving for some day.
*Don’t stop making plans and goals. *Don’t give up dreaming and thinking of what could be.
*These are important and give direction and depth to our futures but while you are dreaming and planning FIND Christ in the Center of it All.
Why Life can be difficult:
I think it is because of the choices we have to make, and this makes for a difficult life if we make the wrong choice.
*If we gave more thought to the choices we make– life would be a lot less difficult. Pray and listen to God’s word before we make choices.
James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
*Train yourself–Begin by making the Choice to practice good habits.
Why Change the tongue First?
* your mouth measures your maturity
* your mouth reveals your heart
* your mouth sets the stage for your failure or your success.
*Our words reflect our character
*Our words have the power to direct and destroy lives
*Our words affect how the world views God.
Life can hit hard. Sometimes you get knocked down when you don’t even see it coming.
Some are cheap shots, some are glancing blows and some can bring you to your knees.
When this happens, it’s not about how hard you get hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, BUT still find the strength to keep moving forward.
* It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles.
Only God’s Love will wipe away our divisions and our discords. Only His Love will unite us together as One.
* “To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…”Revelation 1:5-6
In life we go through challenges, circumstances, traumatic events. Although we are immune from the tragedies of the past, we are not immume from the memory of the pain. The scars may have healed completely; there may be no visible trace of the hurt; BUT deep within the recesses of our mind there remains an imprint, a memory, a rememberance of the hurt we have experienced.
Isaiah 43:18 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new…..”
Irrespective of what you’ve been through, you may have suffered incredible humiliation and rejection. You may have memorials of pain – people, places, things you see that trigger a rememberance of pain.
Thats alright, Let Go and now let God! Let 2012 be so good, so awesome, so magnificent, let it be the year of the rejoicing of your heart. Then you will find it difficult to remember the pain that has followed you your whole life.
*You will experience the goodness of God, His goodness and mercy shall follow you this year!
***You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
**** Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.
Forget Regret: Leave your mistakes and regret in the past.
* They don’t define Your Value, then or now.
*When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward.
We ALL have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. *The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now and heal.
*The only way to get control of your heart is to let Jesus have control of your life.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
*The ultimate purpose of the Bible is to change our lives. It Changes our conviction, conduct, and character. We want to be more like Christ.
David had learned that communicating with the living God is the ONLY sure way of victory.
*His skill was not enough. He had to have God’s blessing.
We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter.
When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.
Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
*We can spend time in prayer and have scripture memorized, but our outward actions must be evidence of our inward transformation.
We must pray according to His Word AND act according to His Word.
Press through present chaos into the peace that is greater than your understanding. Quiet your soul and be done with the anxiety that comes with uncertainty.
Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
Father, thank You for Your promise to give me a future and a hope! Please give me the strength and wisdom to live according to Your Word, to proclaim the name of Jesus through word and deed. In Jesus Name, Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
Keep the Faith
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,
Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.
*Suffering teaches obedient faith.
Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
At the end of the day when you are weary from all of the effort and energy you have expended and you are sore and tired from being hit hard so many times, but the dream is not realized, the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your Faith.
**Honor this and cherish it. Faith is what makes you human. It gives you energy and hope. And if you let it, your faith will deliver you to wherever you want to go in life.
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Help people with the same problems you have – Solving our problems in life isn’t always easy.
Our toughest problems often require the most creative solutions—solutions that are outside our scope of thinking. **But when you help people solve problems that are similar to your own, you’ll find it easier to solve your own problems and Heal.
By solving the same problem from different perspectives, you’ll find the all-inclusive answer that seems to work repeatedly.
Solving these types of problems will become second-nature to you and eventually you’ll be able to solve your own problems, even the toughest ones.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
There is no standing still. You are either moving forward in your life or you are falling behind.
You only have one opportunity to live your life, don’t live it regretting what was, or what is no more.
You have to start seeing the wonderful things that life still has to offer you. Now is the time to allow yourself to expect the best from life.
Psalms 32:8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Talk expectantly and positively about yourself and the future. Know that better things are right around the corner for you. Be excited!
Once you implement a positive attitude to your way of thinking you’ll be amazed at the results!
I implore you to let go of the things that are holding you back. Release yourself from your self inflicted bondage, set yourself free. YOU are responsible for your life’s journey.
*Forgive people who have hurt you; let go of the things that have been done to you. Get resentment out of your life! Let it go.
Only then can you bring to yourself fresh hope and move yourself forward to the life you want.
* Don’t keep yourself prisoner to anything or anyone. You have the key to your cell, use it to open the door, step through it, and get back on your journey.
**You do not have the power to change the past.
**** Forgiveness will cut you loose and free you to move forward and create a new future.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
To bring about a change in your life, you need to make inner change –changing your thoughts, transferring your focus, concentrating on what you want to bring into your life, rather than what you don’t want, or what you’ve lost.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
When was the last time you sat out wrote out a plan and revisited your vision.
*Enemy focuses us on what we can’t do instead of focusing us on what we CAN do.
*Need to dream big and cut out distractions.
***Don’t let all of your distractions cut out time with God. Choose Him to be First and things Will fall into place.
Walk by faith not by sight. It’s not what it looks like…Moses as the example crossing the Red Sea.
*It’s in the dry places of life when you are elevated.
**Let God in on your plans. When God brings you out he’s looking to bring you into another experience.
Galatians 5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
When God anoints us, it often is accompanied by some severe tests. These tests are designed to prepare us for the calling God has on our life. Should we fail these tests God cannot elevate us to the next level. For a believer, these tests often involve money, relationships, and other issues of the heart.
What if God has chosen you for a specific purpose in His Kingdom? Are you passing the tests He is bringing about in your life?
These tests are designed to bring about greater obedience.
In most instances, it will involve great adversity. The Bible tells us that the King of kings, Jesus- learned obedience through the things that He suffered (see Heb. 5:8).
If this is true, why would it be any different for His children? Be aware of the tests God may be bringing before you in order to prepare YOU for His service.
The Lord has made a way for you to come higher by way of spiritual progression. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you must let go of everything that has become an anchor and a hindrance.
You must release all things that have become a source of agitation, irritation, or conflict in your soul.
Listen to the Lord’s voice as HE calls to you. Allow His nature to be developed in you that will bear the fruit of His Spirit. Let your light shine in the darkness of difficult and disturbing circumstances, for I am with you, says the Lord.
*Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your perfect plans and your wonderful mercy and grace. Jesus, thank you for your mighty sacrifice and your love to do God’s will. Lord I ask that you help us learn to pray to grow nearer to you. To hear your voice and follow your will. Lord I ask that as we pray, we enter into your throne room and we gather a taste that keeps us yearning for more of you. Lord I ask too that you show us your good and perfect plans. Lord, help us be obedient to you and your will. Father thank you for your love and your unending promises and grace. You are wonderful and mighty. Give me more FAITH this day. I pray these things in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
*God never said that following Him would be easy. He never said that we wouldn’t have rough times.
*God said that He would deliver us when we call upon His name. He hears our cries and will be there for us.
*We can stand on His promise ro hear our cries and deliver us.
He pursues us out of His faithfulness and divine love. God is not a quitter nor a loser, He wants you to KNOW Him because He loves you.
*Jesus Christ died for YOU and to this day is pursuing you and He Won’t Stop. *Christ is a Winner and the proof is His resurrection and He is not quitter, because He did not give up on us, even in the darkest hour when for the first time He lost touch with the Father; He suffered and died for our sins so we can have relationship with Him. That my friends shows how much He loves us and is the reason why He is always watching us.
*God doesn’t want harm to come our way, He wants us to prosper in His Love and Wisdom.
God loves you and I hope if you do not have a genuine relationship with Him that you will start one with Him.
*The only way you will have a relationship with the Father is through Jesus Christ ( John 14:6).
My friend you are never alone and I promise you He will never leave you or forsake you because He loves you. Seek Him and you will find (Matthew 7:7-8) because He has been waiting for you, like a Father and His prodigal son (Luke 15:11-31).
*The past is over. Get off those chains that hold you to your past so you can walk to your promised land.
You know what to do, knowledge has been given to you, ideas, opportunities; but all you do is considering? Looking at your past? Your “history” is something the world looks at to evaluate your potential.
* God does not operate like that. He says that your past is over, forgotten, you are freed from its effects if you believe, just a little tiny bit of faith will do.
James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
The battle has been fierce and the demands on your life have been great, even weighing you down at times. But, the Lord wants you to lift up your eyes. Look to the heights and remember that He is your help in times of trouble. The Lord wants you to take flight in the Spirit and rise above the things that have kept you earthbound. Put your complete hope and trust in Jesus. Jesus will cause your heart to sing again.
Psalm 121:1-8 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
When Jesus speaks of some who “do not forsake all” (Luke 14:33), He is speaking
of those who turn from Him and cling to idols.
** An idol is anything that becomes
the sole focus of our devotion—anything that possesses our time, attention,
money, love, interest.
Multitudes of God’s people spend their time endlessly loitering—idly spending time with friends or lolling in front of a TV, computer, cell phone, Ipad. We waste so many precious hours and neglect our Lord and Savior!
How many hours a week do you shut the world out and draw close to Him?
How jealous the Lord must be over all our other loves, all the things that eat
up our personal time and attention with Jesus.
God’s Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless, we turn to God’s Word and we WILL find that there is ‘HOPE’!!!
Now the Lord stands before us, asking: “Do you love Me more than these?”. (John 21:15).
* What we DO(our Action) is our response.
Our response to the normal, ordinary demands of life and the power to cope with those demands must come from our reliance upon Him at work within us.
This is the secret: All power to live the Christian life comes not from us, doing our dead-level best to serve God, but from Him, granted to us moment by moment as the demand is made upon us.
Titus 3: 5 he(Jesus) saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
* Power is given to those who follow,listen and who obey. The Father is at work in the Son; the Son is at work in us. As we learn this, then we are given power to meet the demands and the needs that are waiting for us in the ministry yet to come.
Thank You, Father, that the same power is available to me today, making me ready to be your instrument in any and every situation in which demand is laid upon me. Help me to Not be a quitter. Let 2012 be the year that we ALL put You Jesus FIRST. Heal us Lord for Your Glory and for Your Kingdom work. Amen. John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
* What Jesus wants for us(John 17:1-26): Protection, Unity, Joy, Holiness, Truth, Being sent, God’s indwelling presence, Seeing the Father’s glory, God’s love IN me.
Mind-blasting (!). This is what Jesus wants for you and me. And how small are MY ambitions for me?
Mark 9:23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Read More“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
It’s extremely important not to judge a person by what they say or do. God is the only One who truly knows the human heart, so He is the only righteous judge.
* “…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
Paul’s IDENTITY was not based upon himself, BUT upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Each and every day we must remind ourselves: It’s not I…but Christ!!!!
** “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:20
*So as believers in today’s society I ask you what are we really seeking in Life?
Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God?
*** God’s kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ in our lives.
*Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
** This is praying for a day when God will bring heaven to earth and will bring His rule on this planet.
*God still has a plan for planet Earth. He will rule and reign here, and as believers, we will rule and reign with Him.
But when we pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven,” we are also praying for the rule and reign of the kingdom of God in OUR lives.
*** This is when Jesus is in Charge!!!!
***Don’t worry about the little things in life–Put God First!
*Has God been first in your life this past year? Have you given him the first part of your thoughts, energy, and time?
On one occasion Jesus said, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), where He was speaking of himself. When you are under His lordship, and when He is in control of your life, that IS the kingdom of God.
***It is not rules and regulations, but “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
*Have you, as a Christian, surrendered your life to Christ? Are You All in?
*Have you said, “Lord, I want Your will more than I want my own will. I am willing to surrender to You now”? **Because you cannot pray, “Your kingdom come” until you first pray, “My kingdom go.” Have you done that yet?
* Need help in where to invest yourself? God promised that if we do anything- first it is to ask him, seek His abundant wisdom.
A lack of faith can bring a lot of anxiety into our lives. So instead of worrying, we should put God and His will first in our lives.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
The kingdom of God that comes through the Son, is the greatest gift, ever given to man. And that gift is the impartial and unbiased justification freedom from the guilt of sin.
*Justification – the act of God whereby humankind is made or accounted just, or FREE from guilt or the penalty of sin.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
This Impartial and unbiased justification came to ALL mankind through the birth of the Baby Jesus.
*This birth, the coming of the Son was to ALL people.
*Everyone has equal opportunity to receive the impartial and unbiased justification of the Kingdom of God.
Let us all receive this gift with great joy. Because this baby will bring the love, joy and peace of the impartial and unbiased justification of the kingdom of God.
Do you realize that if you’re trying to live your life without God, you are at war with him? You are at war with God, and you need a Peace Treaty. You need Reconciliation because your relationship with God has been broken. Jesus Christ came to be that bridge, to be the reconciler between God and man.
When you trust Jesus, he makes it all go away. He says, “I’m going to completely wipe out everything you’ve ever done wrong. You’re completely forgiven. Come on home!”
The Bible says, “Now that we have been put right with God through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 TEV).You need to make peace with God. Have you done that? If you haven’t, you’d better, because one day you will have to face him.
” And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Colossians 3:15-16
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Read MoreLuke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not
be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
*Our actions speak what is in our heart. We will be judged with our hearts actions.
Truly we have to act like our teacher Jesus has taught us through His word.
*The opposite of showing mercy is judgement.
*Mercy is not just feeling compassion but showing compassion(to identify with… suffer
with… to take on others pain and suffering).
Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is
no deceit.
*That’s a blessedness that’s available to every one of us.
Do you know why it’s available to every one of us?
**Because there’s none of us that hasn’t sinned. And, in a certain sense, the fact that we
are sinners opens us up to this blessing, because God is willing to:
* Forgive our sins.
* He’s willing to cover our sins.
* He’s willing to count no sin against us, if we repent, if we turn to Him in faith.
Again three things the psalmist says there that God will do:(Psalm 32:1-2)
1. He will forgive our transgressions.
2. He will cover our sins.
3. He will not count our sin against us.
***But then there’s one thing that God requires of us. It says, “In whose spirit is no
deceit.”
God does require from every one of us sincerity, honesty, openness. We do not put on a
religious act, we do not try to cover up, we do not excuse.
We humbly and sincerely acknowledge that we have sinned, that we deserve God’s wrath
and judgment, that we turn from our sin, we confess sin and acknowledge sin and God
forgives.
1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
I had to ask myself these questions:
1. Do you confess your sins openly consistently and privately to the Lord?
2. Do you confess publically when you offended someone else?
3. Do you have an attitude of gratitude?
4. Do you ask the Lord for help in resisting temptation?
We need to own up, man up, and step up. He will always make a way of escape.
5. Do you have an accountability partner or group?
I need to “Get back to confessing”.
Oh, let’s cultivate a habit of being honest with God. Don’t Fear Him! God knows it ALL
anyway. What are we trying to hide from him? What do we think God does not see or
hear?
Have you feared Jesus because of what He might require of you? Have you feared that
He might ask of you something you are not prepared to give? Do not let your fears drive
Him from your presence. God’s motive is always love for His children. You can trust
Him.
To be fully free, we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will
make us happy forever. No regrets.
And only Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for us, can make that possible. If the
Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a
grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
What God is showing here through Paul’s letter is how we should learn how to use Love
to be a witness AND become one body.
– but not just a heartfelt love or something that was feelings, but:
* a love that will forgive regardless of ‘who did it’,
*a love that does not have conditions. Too many times we attach conditions to loving a
brother or sister in Christ- that ‘they should know better’, or that ‘they gotta show their
love to me first’, or things like that.
But Paul is reiterating something Jesus said- that love & forgiveness are two pillars that
we cannot just take lightly!!
We MUST love our brothers and sisters in Christ, otherwise OUR Faith is nothing to
those who are outside!
To see if I am loving Laura, family, friends properly- I put my name in for Love when
reading:
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
Do we love like that above??????
God, You do not deal with us as we deserve, but in Your mercy and grace, You forgive
us through Christ!
Lord, thank you for the precious gift of your Spirit. Help me to stay on the path you have
laid out for me and not wander off in my own direction. Open my eyes and ears so that I
can hear your voice and follow you. You are so good to me and so patient with me!
Give me more of Your Forgiving Spirit!
I love you! Help me to Love more with your supernatural Love! In Jesus Name!
Amen
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