Devotions - Prayer
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under the trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12
The sin that makes God cry is being committed daily, not by pagan workers of iniquity but by multitudes of Christians—
**the sin of doubting God’s love for His children.
Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, and according to the book of John He wept when those closest to Him doubted His love and concern. (John 11:35)
*That was God incarnate at the tomb of Lazarus, crying over friends who failed to recognize who He was.
Jesus spoke to God in the presence of those around him. He wanted them to see that God is in the midst of their pain and hurt.
**God is present in our pain and suffering. He mourns with us when we are sad; he limits himself to feel these losses with us. He does listen to our cries when we are hurt.
Jesus says: “Here I Am.”
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away .” Revelation 21:4
Time and time again Christ’s dearest associates on this earth doubted His love for them.
*Think of the disciples in a storm-tossed boat that was taking on water.
*Jesus was in the stern of the boat, sound asleep. Fearing for their
lives, His followers shook Him awake and then accused Him of out right unconcern. “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).
*How their accusation must have grieved the Lord! That was God Almighty in their boat!
How could He not care?
***But whenever men take their eyes off the Lord and concentrate
instead on their circumstances, doubt always takes over.
*Jesus was astounded! He said:
“How can you be afraid when I am with you? How can you question My love and care?”
Christians today grieve the Lord in this matter even more.
Let us look for His exceeding mercy and love, admit the sinfulness of our unbelief, and recognize who He is!
In John 11:25 Jesus makes what may be His most COMFORTING claim of all:
“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE“.
Lord, Help my faith to sit solidly on Biblical Truth. Thank You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreProverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Righteousness in the Bible is a path. A path is something that we walk on, something we move along. It suggests motion, change, development.
Some people would like righteousness to be some kind of static condition. “Well, I’m saved! Here I am; I’m righteous. All I need to do now is sit in church and sing hymns until the Lord calls me home.” That’s a mistake. Any static condition in which you do not change, progress and develop is not the righteousness of the Bible.(Here are a couple of my favorite Bible verses that helps me here Hosea 4:6, Hebrews 10.26, Romans 1:18-25, Romans 12:1-3 so then 1 Thess. 5:16-19)
The righteousness of the Bible is a path. And we enter into that path through an encounter with the Son of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when He shines into our lives, that’s like the first gleam of dawn. It’s the beginning of light. And then, as we move on in that path, the words are beautiful: “The light shines ever brighter till the full light of day.”
If you are walking in the path of righteousness, today’s light is brighter than yesterday’s and tomorrow will be brighter than today’s. So do not settle down and say, “I’ve arrived,” because that’s a mistake, that’s a deception. (see 1 John 1:5-7)The path of righteousness leads us always on until we come into the full light of the noonday sun and to the full and final revelation of God in eternity.
So if you are on that path, keep moving on, and if you haven’t yet found the path, you need to meet the Son of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read Colossians 1:9-14 for your prayer and put your name in for the “you”. Amen
Read MoreJohn 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
*If we take the Bible to be true and believe that it is truly God’s word, then we should also believe that the only way to get to God is through Jesus Himself.
***Christ alone is the way of salvation.
Trusting God is relying upon His ability to accomplish His Will no matter how we feel, what we think, or how bad the circumstances may appear.
Hold on to truth. God’s truth. It will keep you, protect you & hide you from the grasp of the enemy.
John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
** This is Love IN Action!
*Love is Truth and Grace all in one. God is Love!
According to Jesus, true freedom comes from knowing and believing the truth (John 8:32). Which means we must believe Him, because He is the truth(John 16:6).
And that means we need to trust Him with all our heart and “not lean on [our] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
That, in a nutshell, is the life of faith.
And the life of faith is a fight (1 Timothy 6:12) because right thinking is very hard.
The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to glorify Jesus. If your life, decisions, choices, etc glorify Jesus you are living in step with the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 12:23 and see what happens if we try take the glory ourselves)
*The apostles were beaten for speaking about Jesus.They rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus.
*Stephen spoke the truth and was stoned for it. He even asked God to forgive the people who were killing him with his last words.
*Paul and Silas spoke the truth and were stripped, beaten and thrown into prison. They endured all of his and yet sang hymns and prayed while they had their feet clamped in stocks.
Don’t be ashamed of the Name of Jesus.
- Speak the truth in love.
- Share the sufferings of the men and women of God.
- Share the fate of those who have endured to the end throughout history.
Father God, please bring to mind those I have not forgiven, those who I harbor resentment toward. I pray Lord that I will resemble Christ more and more each day. That as I go through life here that I don’t let myself become bitter or angry by holding onto resentment. In Jesus name Amen.
Read MoreFOR US TO BE VICTORIOUS WE NEED.
1. Our faith is our greatest weapon against the devil. 2cor 5:7
2. Know the word. We fight battles in the kingdom is to know the word. Know more than the devil. The devil works by deception in the word (read Hosea 4:6). This is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve.
3. Realize the power in you. Luke 10:19, John 1:12, 1John 4:4
4. CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON ALL THAT IS GOOD
Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15).
*Temptation has to be entered into.
We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7).
Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, BUT we must CHOOSE to think on the positive truths of God.
This is where prayer comes in.
In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts that conceive temptation.
Temptation or sin must be conceived (Jas. 1:14-15).
In the physical realm, the easiest way to avoid an unwanted birth is to avoid conception, so it is in the spiritual world.
It is easier to avoid being tempted by being in constant communion with God, than it is to overcome temptation once it has been conceived.
Paul admonishes the Philippians believers to reflect and meditate upon eight positive principles of thinking that will lead to a victorious Christian life.
Phil. 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
*Recognizing God’s hand in even the smallest things will bring peace and keep our hearts and minds following hard after the Lord.
Lord, I confess to You that my thoughts are not always pure. I have allowed the world and outside influences to pollute the mind that should be set on You. Right now, I choose against my old ways of thinking and invite the Holy Spirit to stand guard over my mind. I commit to fill my heart and mind with Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen. READ ROMANS 12: 1-3 ON RENEWING THE MIND!
Read MoreLet us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” Hebrews 4:16.
You don’t have to be hesitant or shy about coming to God for forgiveness. The Bible says, “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”.
At the throne of grace, you will not find scolding, punishment, or rejection. When we come to God with our sin, we receive his mercy, and we find his grace.
What’s the difference between mercy and grace?
- Mercy is forgiveness for all the things you’ve done in the past.
- Grace is the power to change in the future.
You need both.
- You need mercy for all the things you’ve done wrong in the past (forgiveness).
- And you need grace, the power to change, in the future. God says that when you come to him with honesty and humility, you will receive his forgiveness.
Let me tell you how not to get God’s forgiveness.
You don’t beg God. He wants to forgive you more than you want to be forgiven. You don’t have to beg.
You don’t bargain or bribe. “God, I’ll never do it again! I’ll live this kind of life. I’ll tithe 20 percent.” You don’t bargain. You don’t bribe. You don’t beg.
You just believe.
What do you believe? You believe God’s promise in Hebrews 4:16.
How do you do it? You just confess. Confession is not saying, “God, I’ll never do it again.” It’s saying, “You’re right, God. It was wrong. I was wrong.”
The Bible says in Romans 5:1,“Since we have been justified (that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God) by faith, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God … through our Lord Jesus Christ” .
What does it mean to be justified? It means “just as if you’d never sinned.”
Wouldn’t you like to have a heart that’s washed clean? No matter how deep the stain of your sin, God can take it out.
Lord, I confess and repent for not coming to You with all things. You are the way, the truth and the way. Help me daily to be in continuous prayer with you . Amen (see 1 Thes. 5:16-19)
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Men’s hearts are failing them for fear over the things happening on this earth (see Luke 21:26).
Even devout Christians are getting caught up in this wave of fear and anxiety about the future.
*People are afraid the ship is sinking.
*Mankind is yearning for security.
Does it all sound scary? Certainly everything appears to be falling apart, as far as the natural eye can discern.
In his honest moments, even the skeptic must admit that something apocalyptic is taking place in the world.
* How can Christians keep fear out of their hearts?
*How can they face all the news reports and anticipate all the calamities and disasters without being afraid for their homes and children?
*Do they pay off all their bills, salt away some reserves in the bank, then just try to ride it out while hoping that a better day will come?
*Do they buy a farm or a piece of land and flee to the country, hoping they can escape the coming tragedies?
*Do they let their motivation die andsurrender to fear?
*Do they abandon all their dreams and ambitions and become as hermits?
**** God has everything under control.
That is right, everything is under control! You and I, and everything that touches us, are under His control.
No matter how things look in this drunken world, all things are still working together for good to everyone who loves God and are the called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28).
The future looks evil and foreboding, but David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” Psalms 23:4).
The message for believers today is that the future is under His control, so we need not fear.
The best defense against the devil is to be so “God-centered” that we give no place to Satan.
David said, “If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there” (Ps. 139:8). Any time Satan’s oppression is there, God’s presence is present too (Heb. 13:5)!
It’s just a matter of which one we focus on. Focusing on the devil is a trick of the devil.
Our total ability in the Christian life is found in Christ. It is not our ability that makes us strong, but our availability to Christ that enables us.
Paul said, “For when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). He was saying that when he recognized his inability and, therefore, relied on the Lord, then the Lord’s strength flowed through him. We can do all things THROUGH CHRIST.
Colossians 2: 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Father, I know You want me to share the love I have found in You. Forgive me for the many times I have been too busy to see the needs around me. Break my heart for those who are in pain and feel hopeless. Encourage them through me, Lord. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can give it away. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read MoreWhen our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.
The soul is a “neutral” territory that can either be governed by our own thoughts, emotions, and desires, or else given over to the Lordship of Christ.
“For the one who sows to his own flesh shall form the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”Galatians 6:8
How and Where God Speaks
“The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.'” Ezekiel 3:22
When God wants to speak a very important word directly to us without interruption from the noise of our busy lives, he will take us “into the plain.”
The plain is a place of no distractions and no other persons. It is a place of silence. It can be a place of great need as it often fails to have the normal provisions we are accustomed to.
In modern times, it often means a separation from our normal activities such as jobs or families.
The plain can also be a place where we discover afresh that God’s hand has been on us all the time.
When we are so busy with life, we sometimes forget that God’s hand is still there, gently leading our path.
When our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.
Thus, the plain is one of those appointed times of one-on-one communication with our heavenly Father.
Each day God calls us to our own mini-plain in order to speak to us through His Word and for us to hear.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12).
David is also asking for help.
“Lord, give me this willing spirit,” he says, and God immediately gives it. Then it must be acted on.
That is the point. Do not wait for a feeling to come that you are forgiven. God has said you are forgiven. Do not wait for a feeling of power to possess you.
God has declared He has already given you the power. As you believe Him (and that is what faith is), you can do what you need to do and what God wants you to do.
A VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS ONLY A DELUSION!
Lord, thank You for giving me all that I need for both forgiveness and power through the Lord Jesus. Thank you for Your Voice and speaking to me. Amen.
Read MoreDon’t Get Burned Out on Too Much Activity.
“Works of the flesh” are things we do without God’s power flowing through us. They are difficult, they drain us, and they produce no joy or fulfillment. They are often good things, but not ‘God things.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
God will show you what you need to do if you ask Him, and He will never give you too much.
**Be occupied with God, not burdened.
There is nothing inherently spiritual about busy-ness. Christ reserved some of his strongest rebukes for the Pharisees — the spiritual workaholics of his day.
The Pharisees were so busy working for God that they had forgotten to follow Jesus.
Nor is there anything inherently sinful about “unproductive” moments — if they are used to “Refresh and Energize YOU For Renewed Service”.
*Even the Creator of the universe set aside his labors for a day of rest.
The beauty of it all IS—While you are at rest, God is at work!
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” – Jeremiah 17:7
The prophet Jeremiah describes a situation in which the temptation to solve a financial problem can become so great that we trust in man’s way to solve it.
Read (Jeremiah 17:5-8).
Jeremiah drew a sharp comparison between the man who trusts in his own effort to solve his problem and the man who trusts in God when he cannot see the outcome.
The man who trusts in God bears fruit despite the circumstances in his life.
Proverbs 14:12…”There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”
***”Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Father, I am weary and I feel a great burden, so I am coming to you. Please give me rest. Please give me your peace. Please provide for me and my family. Please give me rest for my soul. I need you. I am desperate for your provision. Please provide for my family Spiritually, Relationally and Financially. Please, Father, give me rest and provision for Your Glory and my Joy.
Thank You for sending Jesus your Son! Christ died for us because God loved us soooo Much. Amen
. ..Having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:4
Banish forever any thought of indulging the flesh if you want to live in the power of your risen Lord. It is absurd for a man who is alive in Christ to dwell in the corruption of sin.
- “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” said the angel to the women.
- Should the living dwell in the tombs? Should divine life be imprisoned in the burial ground of fleshly lust?
- How can we partake of the cup of the Lord and yet drink the cup of the devil?
- Surely, believer, from blatant lusts and sins you are delivered, but have you also escaped from those that are more secret and delusive?
- Have you left behind the lust of pride?
- Have you escaped from laziness?
- Have you given up trusting in earthly things?
- Are you seeking each day to live above worldliness, the pride of life, and the ensnaring grip of greed?
Remember, it is in order that you might know such victory that you have been enriched with the treasures of God.
If you are really the chosen of God, and beloved by Him, do not allow all this lavish treasure of grace to be wasted on you. Pursue holiness; it is the Christian’s crown and glory.
An unholy church is useless to the world and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell’s laughter, heaven’s disgust. The worst evils that have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church.
O Christian, the vows of God are upon you.
- You are God’s servant: Act as such.
- You are God’s king: Reign over your lusts.
- You are God’s chosen: Do not associate with Satan.
- Heaven is your portion: Live like a heavenly spirit, and in this way you will prove that you have true faith in Jesus, for there cannot be faith in the heart unless there is holiness in the life.
Lord, I desire to live as one Who bears a blood-bought name, As one who fears but grieving Thee,And knows no other shame. Help me renew my mind with TRUTH!
Read Romans 12:1-3. 1Thess. 4:4.
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WE CHOOSE TO LOVE
John 18:23 “Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”
The importance of sharing the truth of God.
*Reading His book, The Bible daily has taught me to walk in Him so that He guides me and shows me the correct and righteous path.
God’s kind of love is not self-serving or self-seeking.
Agape love will cause a person to lay down his life for another (Jn. 15:13), because he has literally forgotten himself.
Many times when heroes are asked why they put themselves in jeopardy to save someone else, they reply that they didn’t even think about themselves. All they thought of was the danger to the other person. That’s God’s kind of love.
God’s type of love involves emotions many times, but it is Not an emotion.
To experience “living hope” on a daily basis we must “love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22, 4:8).” This means growing from brotherly love (philia-defined by feelings) to unconditional love (agape—defined by Actions).
***God’s Love is an act of the will.
*We can choose to love even when we don’t feel like it and we can always conduct ourselves in a godly manner, when we feel God’s kind of love.
*God’s kind of love is a choice.
*God’s kind of love is also the antidote to selfishness and pride. We cannot conquer self by focusing on self.
**The only way to win over self is to fall in love with God more than with ourself.
*It is in discovering God’s love that we lose self love.
Jesus didn’t feel some emotional sensation when He chose to die for us, but that was the greatest demonstration of God’s kind of love that the world has ever seen. He made a choice in spite of His emotions.
Because He was consumed with God’s love, He acted properly, even when His emotions didn’t agree.
Jesus is the ultimate example of God’s kind of love! READ: (Jn. 3:16-20)
The cross is the greatest revelation of God’s love for the most unworthy beings — you and me.
O’ Lord, Your Truth has no error. The only error is our body and mind where we tend to fail You but You are ever forgiving and you teach us to be humble and follow in Your ways. Help us in these days of such need. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!
Read More“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5
Perhaps the simplest way to understand shame is to think back on a moment when you experienced it.
You may have felt embarrassment, discomfort or self-consciousness.
Shame can also express itself in much weightier emotions, like when we feel humiliated, inadequate, injured or abused.
So many people live under the weight of shame without realizing it because we’ve been conditioned by culture and life experience to accept that feeling as normal.
Shame is simply always there; it’s that familiar yet profound feeling that we don’t measure up.
• Maybe you regularly view life through the lens of other people’s expectations (real or imagined), and you’re beginning to buckle under the pressure.
• Perhaps a friend betrayed you, one of your parents was emotionally or physically absent, or your loved one has a secret addiction, and you think it’s all somehow your fault.
• Maybe you’re stressed about your children and how you handle things at home.
The voice in your head says, I’m not a very good mothe/fatherr. Maybe you feel like a failure because life got hard, and now your dreams seem out of reach, or you just don’t know who you are anymore.
Maybe you go through life with ever-present feelings of inadequacy; you worry what other people would think if they knew the real you. Shame lurks in all of these things.
In spite of the overwhelming nature of shame, there is good news. The promise of Scripture is that when we look to God, He transforms our shame into something beautiful — a sparkling, splendorous joy.
It may take time, and there may always be moments in life when we experience shame, but when our identity is centered in Christ — not only knowing who we are in Christ, but knowing who He is in us — we can discard the dark covering of shame and rise in radiance. In other words, we may have shame, but in Jesus, shame no longer has us.
Whether you’re simply having a “not enough” moment, or you’ve been hiding in shame for years, have hope. You can overcome shame, because your Overcomer(Jesus at the Cross) already has for YOU!
1 Peter 2:6, “For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’”
Dear heavenly Father, I praise You because You not only remove my shame, You faithfully transform it into something beautiful and new. And while I don’t fully understand it, I know You have the power to help me overcome shame because You’ve already done so on the cross. Open my heart to experience Your love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Spiritual Warfare Verses: John 12:31, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57,
1 John 4:4, Ephesians 6:1-16, Philippians 3:10 and 1 John 5:4.
Read MoreNow about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. – 1 Corinthians 12:1
In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church.
Paul correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person’s gift helps the whole Body of the Church.
This is such an important principle for us to learn.
* I have learned their spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction.
*I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes.
**When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another.
*Some of us are more sensitive to God’s voice because God has gifted us in that way.
*Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts.
Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity.
“For I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2
*God can do exceedingly great things through one man or woman who is willing to be obedient to God’s voice.
Ask for His grace today to be obedient to His voice.”And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands” (2 John 6).
*Love produces obedience that produce a strong relationship.
The more time you give to someone, the more you reveal their importance to you.
*The best way to spell love is T-I-M-E.
*The best use of life is love
In Scripture I have noticed that love is an action, never a feeling. Love may generate feelings, but feelings are always the result, never the content of love.
Lord, transform me, through obedience, into a person who loves You more today than I did yesterday and who loves others more today than I did yesterday. May Your Spirit renew my mind each and every minute of the day to become more and more like You- till Your return. Amen
Read MoreJohn 1:23, “He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”
John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success. (JOHN 1:19-36)
Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it.
God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist.
To succeed in life, you must find God’s plan for your life and then devote yourself to fulfilling that plan.
Our success should be measured by faithfulness to Christ, following Him in obedience.
To Have Eternal Life is to KNOW HIM! (JN17:3)
The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. Your talents and abilities were given you to fulfill His purpose. Although you may find limited success using these talents for your own uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed by and for the Lord.
The good news is that God wants to reveal His perfect plan for your life to you more than you want to know it.
You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive (Mt. 7:7).
He will show you His good, acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2)
Set your heart, your faith, and your will to receive all that the Lord has promised.
* In Christ we humans are ALL the same and not judged by our social or economic status. The word of God brings us ALL to the same level.
*God does not look at the outward appearance but the inner and we should do the same.
God help me see the perfect plan You have for me, for Your Glory and my joy. Amen
(See 1 Thess. 5:16-18 for God’s will for you and me)
Read MoreProverbs 5:11–14 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly [or the church].”
Those are the words of somebody who has known the way of righteousness for many years, somebody that is seen regularly in church. Somebody who knows how to say “Amen” when the preacher says the right thing. Somebody who knows many of the hymns by heart. Somebody, maybe, who prays in public meetings. And yet, that person has never given heart obedience to the truths that he has learned.
And here he is pictured at the end of his life, realizing too late that he has missed it all – that he knew it with his head, but he never believed and obeyed it with his heart.
It is remarkable that when Jesus speaks about hypocrites, He uses particular language. He says, “The end of the hypocrites will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I have asked myself why particularly that language about hypocrites, and I believe the answer is:
- Because they are people who have known it all, all along, but never obeyed it.
- And there is a particular bitterness in finding yourself rejected and in the midst of ruin at the end of your life when all those years you have sat in church and known the right thing, given outward assent, but your heart has never been changed.\
- You have never come to the place of true surrender, commitment and making Jesus truly Lord of your life.
Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to Know You and your Truths. Help me daily to become more and more surrendered to you. Amen
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* “…you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one…”Luke 10:42
*One thing is needed, And that’s Jesus!
Meditation is still crucial for believers today. In our culture, we are inundated by worldly values and godless priorities. Unless we guard our hearts, they will slowly begin to accept these unrighteous standards. (Ro. 1:18-26).
Therefore, we should discipline ourselves to meditate daily upon God’s Word, focusing our attention on His character and His ways. (Matthew 5: 3-8 & Ro. 12:2).
The part of the gospel that we consume and understand cannot be taken from us. The best investment ever.
Consider the investment benefit of doing so.
• Quiets our spirit and provides an avenue for God to purify our hearts
.• Develops a hunger for the Word so we can gain deeper understanding of Jesus and greater sense of His power.
• Improves our discernment about direction for our lives.
• Sharpens our awareness of His presence.
Meditation on Scripture may involve a small sacrifice of rising earlier or giving up free time during the day.
**But living a Christ-centered life filled with peace and joy depends upon our commitment to focus our minds and hearts on Him regularly.
The Christian life is not an attempt to get more faith, or more anointing, or to get closer to the Lord.
*We already have these things in their fullness.
*We just need a revelation of what is already ours.
*Understanding this takes a lot of frustration and doubt away.
Through Christ, we are already blessed with all spiritual blessings. All we have to do is appropriate what is already ours, through the renewing of our mind. (Romans 12:2)
*If you will change your thinking to believe what God says in His Word about WHO you are and WHAT you have, then your flesh will experience the life of God that has been deposited in your spirit. (Psalms 139)
Thank You God, for Your WORD- Jesus! Which is more than enough. To know that Jesus IS more than enough- is the answer to every conflict we face. Help me put on the armor of God each day as Ephesians 6 so clearly discripes-knowing the “sword” is the”Word of God” – meaning to open and read the Word daily.
Thank You Jesus!