Devotions - Prayer
* “…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!
We cannot show forth God’s Life and self-life at the same time.
“Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” James 3:11
The fear of man finds its fuel source in our sin nature.
It all began when Satan was no longer content to be a worshiper in heaven—rather, he longed to be worshiped.
That lust in his heart led him to think outside the boundaries that God had established for him.
When Satan came to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he subsequently sowed that fallen nature into the human race—a desire to live and think independently of God, ultimately wanting to be as God.
With that sin nature now entrenched in humanity, the next step was the innate desire to be worshiped—and so fallen man began to turn to one another for approval.
That is why we tend to be so greatly affected by other people’s
opinions of us; why our whole identity suddenly hinges on whether we are a success or failure in other people’s eyes.
Consider how tragic it would be to stand before the Lord one day and have somebody we once knew look us in the eye and say, “You knew the truth. You knew there was a heaven and a hell! I know I was nasty, but why didn’t you open your mouth and tell me anyway? You knew I was going to go here and you knew my children would end up here. ****Why didn’t you speak to me?”
Sadly, the only reason any child of God would have is: “I longed for your
favor more than the favor of God. I wanted you to like me. I didn’t want you to laugh at me; I wanted your praise.” What a trap it is when we love the praise of men more than the praise of God!
According to Paul, the only way to escape this snare of the fear of man is by calling out to God, knowing that He has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7).
Furthermore, the Scriptures tell us that “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
The love of God will not only drive out fear, but it will compel us to go back to those who are living without God in order to do them good, irrespective of their response toward us.
Lord, Thank You for Your word which is absolute Truth. Help me daily to share Your Truths with the people you put in front of me. Help me share Your love and compassion for Your Glory. Amen
Read More John 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 MoreJohn 17:17 ” Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
In this prayer, Jesus prayed twice that the Father would keep His disciples from evil.
Then He reveals the way that God will accomplish this – through His Word, the holy scriptures.
*Anyone who desires to live for God, reject the devil, and reject the world’s system, must know God’s Word.
Hosea 4:6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me(lack of knowledge). Since you priests refuse to know me,
I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
We must study the scriptures, for they reveal the will of God for our actions and attitudes.
To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, we must be filled with God’s Word.
God’s Word is His will! Those who are ignorant of God’s Word will be ignorant of God’s will.
Psalms 119:89 Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven.
The starting point for any Christian is understanding God’s will for his life. How can a person obtain such knowledge?
The first step is to desire it-be hungry.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
*People ask the Lord for knowledge of His will but don’t receive it because they aren’t seeking with ALL THEIR HEART.
*No one who has ever sought the Lord with all his heart has ever been disappointed.
The Holy Spirit is the dispenser of God’s wisdom. It is through Him that we know the things God has revealed to us.
*One of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s will to us.
There is no way we can walk worthy of the Lord and please Him if we don’t know His will.
Furthermore, we can’t be fruitful without the knowledge of His will.
God has provided all that we need to be successful and victorious in this life. Believe His Word.
I’ve always told myself that I want to do God’s will. But I have, for most times, been clueless about that ‘God’s will’.
1 Thess. 5:18 Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s WILL for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
“Be thankful in ALL circumstances”. Lord, help us to never grow beyond being thankful. Amen
Read MoreProverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the unfaithful destroys them.
*Doing the right thing takes place over anything else.
*When doing the right thing and following the rules don’t comply, we still need to do what is morally right.
To lower your Stress–Do the right thing.
*Righteous Men and Women Hate sin.
*Righteous Men and Women follow the word of God.
Proverbs 10:9 The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely, but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.
*Integrity is when people can trust you to do something when they are not around.
This skill helps you with friendships . Also it is very good for every day life. God tells us to be do what is right no matter if any one is watching.(God IS)
*Integrity is the state or quality over being complete, and it is freedom from corrupting influences and or motives.
*Integrity is equated with words such as honesty, completeness, and incorruptibility.
So integrity is rooted in your private world (where private thoughts are held).
*Integrity is cultivated in the private life that we develop alone with God.
*Integrity is reflected in our relationship with others.
*Integrity is also revealed in public life.
What is done in the dark will come to the light.
*Live a life that is filled with integrity and honor!
Habakkuk 2:4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion,but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness.
**Those who walk side ways with the devil will get their reward. Every action or behavior has a certain out come whether good or bad we will get the out come of our actions.
Luke 16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
Lord, help me have integrity each and every day. I pray Psalms 139:23-24 Amen
Read More“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
The enemy of our souls has a very specific strategy to destroy relationships.
Whether these relationships are in business, marriage, or friendships, the strategy is the same.
A conflict arises, judgments are made, and feelings are hurt.
What happens next is the defining point of whether the enemy gains a foothold, or the grace of God covers the wrong.
When a root of bitterness is allowed to be planted and grown(Time does not heal all wounds!), it not only affects that person, but it also affects all others who are involved.
Root of bitterness is like a cancer (A root is a part of a tree that cannot be seen, and it will have small roots springing from it).
** Breaking Satan’s foothold requires at least one person to press into God’s grace.
*It cannot happen when either party “feels” like it, for none of us will ever feel like forgiving.
*None of us feel like talking when we have been hurt.
*Our natural response is to withdraw or lash out at the offending party.
*You have to have a forgiving heart before you can be at peace with yourself.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
It is only obedience that allows God’s grace to cover the wrongs incurred.
*This grace prevents the parties from becoming victims who will seek compensation for their pain.
Even Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered. Hebrews 5:8.
The next time you are hurt by someone, realize the gravity of the crossroads where you find yourself.
**Choose grace(Humility releases grace) instead of bitterness. Then you will be free to move past the hurt, and a root of bitterness will not be given opportunity to grow.
Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Dear LORD, I choose to let the struggles of life make me better and not bitter. I forgive those who have hurt me, and refuse to hold a grudge. I will look for the good in every difficult situation and think the best of others. I know that a bitter heart produces bitter fruit, and I refuse to allow my heart to get caught in that trap. Now, Lord, help me accomplish what I have just confessed. In Jesus name, amen.
“It is not what you eat–it is what eats you”
Read More“Make Room for Jesus” Let Jesus be your “Centerpiece”!
The Good News is:
Jesus came to first proclaim good news to the spiritually hurting, that is to preach good news to US!!!
- Jesus came to Heal the broken-hearted.
- Jesus came to set people free who are bound by sin.
- Jesus came to open our spiritual eyes to our spiritual need.
- Jesus came to lift up those who are crushed by life.
- Jesus came to give us abundant life.
- Jesus came to lift us from physical realm of the senses to the spiritual realm to show us that there is more to life. Jesus came to give us His life for us(Mark 10:45)
Colossians 2: 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
*Christmas is about the love of God. God was willing to come down from heaven to die for us, it was the ultimate sacrifice.
Luke 2:7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
There was no room for the Lord who was born to die for us so that we might have full and complete forgiveness of sins through Him. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths which were used to bury the dead. It is sad that even still today people are still saying to HIM “No Room!”.
Christmas Choice
“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'” Luke 2:13-14.
Keeping “Christ” in Christmas is more than just a cliché. It is an intentional act of worship. It requires a heart of adoration, much like the angels had.
It’s Christmas——-the most wonderful time of the year to celebrate – The Christ Child who brought beauty into our broken world, light into our darkness, and peace for each day.
MERRRY CHRISTMAS! REMEMBER GOD’S AMAZING LOVE SHOWN THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!
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It’s important that we know who we are, so we can move forward strongly in our Faith.
When we understand fully who we are Spiritually, it will change our stance and outlook on situations we find ourselves in as well as our response.
Who am I, whose am I?
1. I am his workmanship. He created me for good works. Ephesians 2:10
2. I am a chosen generation. Ephesians 3:4-6
3. I am the righteousness of God. James 1:20
4. My body is a temple of God. It should not serve any ungodly activity.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
5. I am complete in him. Romans 8:37
6. I am more than a conqueror. 1 John 4:4
7. I am adopted by the Lord. – I have the same rights and privileges as Lord Jesus. Isaiah 62:2-4, Ephesians 1:5-6, Romans 8:15-17
8. We are members of the body. Ephesians 5:30, Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:20
9. I am sealed with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-17, John 6:63, Colossians 1:8,
10. I am of God. – I will never be depressed, etc. For he is in me is greater than he who is in the World. 2 Corinthians 2:1
11. I am a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-9
12. We belong to Christ. Ephesians 1:6
13. I am the salt of the earth. – Salt preserves, seasons and purifies.
Matthew 5:13
14. I am joined to the Lord and am one Spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17
15. I am an Ambassador of Christ. – We represent him at all times, work, school, college etc. So, do I represent him well?? 2 Corinthians 5:20
16. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14
17. I am a royal priest,God’s very own possession. 1 Peter 2:9
18. I am the head and NOT the tail. Deuteronomy 28:13
Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
“Jesus is my Lord,” He then acts conclusively. Through that confession God does something. No man can do it, but God can. He immediately brings about all that is wrapped up in this word, “saved.”
Your sins are forgiven. God imparts to you a standing of righteous worth in his sight. He gives you the Holy Spirit to live within you. He makes you a child in his family. He gives you an inheritance for eternity. You are joined to the body of Christ as members of the family of God.
You are given Jesus himself to live within you, and you will live a life entirely different than you lived before.
In 2016 God has shown Laura and I that He has not equally distributed gifts, talents or intelligence, but He has equally distributed Himself to all that want Him as their Savior. Our sense of worth comes from knowing who we are as children of God.
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1).
Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
Today I reaffirm by confession that, “Jesus is Lord.” Amen
Read MoreThis Christmas Eve, I ask—
1.”What would be your best gift of all to receive?”
After much thought about material things it finally came down to: “the need to needed” and the “assurance of God’s love” for me as well as my wife and family members. ” TO BE LOVED ” WOULD BE MY GREATEST GIFT to receive.
2. “What would be your best gift to give to Others?”
My goal in this –is to give my love I have received from the Lord to others and be bold this season to Lift Up JESUS and His unconditional love He has for all that ask. “TELL OTHERS I LOVE THEM”
So my grown-up Christmas list would have one simple wish. That every person would truly understand the outrageous grace gift that God offers to each one of us. All we have to do is open that gift in faith.
Christmas is when the gift came to earth wrapped in swaddling clothes.
I wish that everyone who hears the Gospel message would comprehend the one way love that God demonstrated. Instead of turning His back on sinners who deserved just that God chose to reach out to His creation with a radical plan for forgiveness. A plan that is unlike any other religion in history.
Man made religion always demands something to earn salvation.
God’s plan for redemption requires the lost to bring nothing to the table other than their sin and the need for salvation. Nothing.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This Christmas Serve your spouse, family and friends instead of waiting to be served by them. Everything starts with Love by responding in a Christ-like way.
Your- healthy relationships places focus on others and not yourself.
Father, open the eyes of my heart. I see that for that to happen there must be the bending of the knee, the imploring of the Spirit in prayer, so that truth becomes vital and compelling. Help me love my wife Laura and never treat her harshly. Help me Love from a Pure Heart Lord. Help me respond in a Christ-like way to love my children, Grandchildren, Family and friends. Amen
How do we stop stressing and stop living an excessively busy lifestyle?
God just wants us to be about “One Thing” – HIM.
God only wants the best for us, He had His Son Jesus lay down His LIFE for you and me.
John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Life is made up of hurdles that are invisible, that impact us and are undeniable.
Reading Psalms 46, 47, & 37. The Lord reminded me that no matter what battle I’m in, and how it looks, to always trust Him. Song praises, no matter what…REJOICE! because the Lord will provide the victory.
Psalm 47:1, 5–6 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God; sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
That’s the Bible’s picture of the response that’s appropriate to God in His power and in His glory.
The one specific word that sums up that which God’s greatness, grandeur should provoke from you and me is the word praise, but a very all-inclusive kind of praise, a praise that occupies every part of our physical body, a praise that occupies all our faculties.
“Clap your hands all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”
*That’s something more than just religious respectability.
*That’s a total response of our redeemed being to the Lord in His greatness.
*Clap our hands; shout to God.
Then it says, “God has ascended amid shouts of joy, … amid the sounding of trumpets.”
Shouts and clapping of hands and musical instruments are all required to sound forth the praise of God.
And then it goes on, “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.”
You know, it’s a theme, “Sing praises, sing praises, sing praises.” That’s how we have to respond to God.
John 10:12 “I (Jesus) am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep (us sinners).”
Thank You Lord for deliverance, for shining your light on the areas that I need to work on while praising You, “the good shepherd”. Amen
Read MoreActs 6, the newfound church had exploded into existence and discovered their first problem: they had a great deal of money!
All of its members were selling their land and possessions to give to the needs of others, but some of the widows in dire circumstances were being overlooked.
The Holy Spirit moved the apostles’ hearts to choose seven men to solve the problem.
That job seems easy enough, doesn’t it? If I were one of the apostles, I would have called for the accountants in the church, the financiers, the treasurers, the bookkeepers – those who had experience with handling and dispersing funds. That would seem the logical choice, wouldn’t it?
But the apostles had different criteria. In Acts 6:3 we find the qualifications: “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”
Wow! The implication here is that the men who were selected were men devoid of themselves, having been filled with the Holy Spirit.
*They were wise because they were surrendered to God, and because of this, God chose them for the task. Can you guess what happened next?
The matter was settled and the widows were taken care of from that day forth.
God doesn’t need the best-of-the-best to change the world; He can do it all by Himself.-–Yet, in His mercy and love, He has decided to allow us the opportunity to leave a mark on our sphere of influence for His glory.
*So be encouraged, friend; you don’t have to be the best-looking, the smartest, or the most talented person in the world to gain God’s approval.
READ: Acts 6:1-7
Here in this scripture we find that not just anyone was set as a leader, also the choosing of a leader wasn’t based on human standards but by Gods standards.
Amongst all the leaders they chose only the individuals which were the most filled with the Holy Spirit.
Wait!! If there is only one Holy Spirit, how can one have more than the other?
*Well the reason why one has more than the other is based on how far into God is the individuals heart.
*See how can a person that strives everyday to seek God & another that is unstable & can not stay committed be considered equal in the Spirit?
*They cant because the unstable person isn’t sure of who they are or there identity.
So if they are unstable the Holy Spirit can not be in them because they don’t believe.
**But on the other hand the individual that seeks God knows who they are, they know their identity, they will not be knocked over to easily.
**They surrender their entire heart to God, the door to their heart is wide open for the Holy Spirit to come & dwell in them & work thru them! Lets say they had Godly Values. Do we?
That is why they were chosen! So let there be no envy if one is not ordained, for it is not ones duty or time. It is not up to us but up to the Holy Spirit- it is His decision.
Let The Lord lead and guide you in the workplace and at home as a great leader and rely on him. Keep your identity in Jesus. Let Him direct you. Amen
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The Life now in our hearts is totally pure, incorruptible and holy because it is God’s Life and not our own.
“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach…” Colossians 1:21-22
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
How do you walk in the Spirit?
*The way you do this is through living by, conducting your actions according to, and following the leading of the Word of God as quickened to you by the Holy Spirit.
*The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree perfectly because the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the written Word of God.
Denying the flesh will not result in walking in the Spirit.
*Walking in the Spirit will result in denying the flesh.
As we experience more of the presence and power of the Spirit of God, then the influence of the flesh is diminished.
Victory must come in this order. We don’t walk in the Spirit as a result of overcoming the flesh, rather overcoming the flesh is the result of walking in the Spirit.
Man can no more get rid of the power of the flesh on his own than he can get rid of the power of darkness without light.
*We have to receive the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives by grace and then the union with the Holy Spirit breaks the power of the flesh.
The key to breaking the dominion of the flesh is to appropriate the power of the Spirit through faith, while the flesh is still causing us problems.
Lord, Help me let the Holy Spirit lead me each hour of each day. Help me see more clearly that it is no longer I, But You that lives in me. Amen
Read MoreI praise You because You made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What You have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother’s body. When I was put together there, You saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old (Psalm 139:14-16).
We tend to find our identity and worth in the fact that we are chosen by someone.
The knowledge that I am chosen frees me to serve Him whole-heartedly and boldly without bowing to the unrealistic expectations imposed by others.
The knowledge that He created me allows me to embrace the gifts He has given me and encourages me to strain every choice, every decision through the filter of God’s perfect plan for my life.
Knowing whose I am draws my attention away from both the critics and the cheerleaders in life, and fixes my gaze on the only one I have to please … God.
We come to Jesus alone. There are no “group rates” when it comes to knowing God. It’s always one-on-one and very personal.
Just think of it! God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love – for love – with a specific and holy purpose in mind.
We can rejoice with the Psalmist who wrote, “Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to Him; we are His people, the sheep He tends” (Psalm 100:3 ).
Knowing whose we are settles our souls and directs our steps toward the path God intended when He shaped us. You and I were created as a living, fleshed out representation of God’s love.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God(That holy religion which God has sent from heaven) is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness(Pardon of sin, and holiness of heart and life) peace(in the soul, from a sense of God’s mercy; peace regulating, ruling, and harmonizing the heart.)and joy in the Holy Spirit(In a word, it is happiness brought into the soul by the Holy Spirit, and maintained there by the same influence).
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life(The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe): that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Father, I want to know You and find Your plan for my life. I choose to see myself through Your eyes of love, forgiveness and grace. I want to be the person You created me to be. Thank You for loving me. Help me to walk each day in the knowledge that I am Your child. Amen.
Taken from John Piper:
As the Hebrews were promised the land, but had to take it by force, one town at a time, so we are promised the gift of self-control, yet we also must take it by force.
The very concept of “self-control” implies a battle between a divided self. It implies that our “self” produces desires we should not satisfy but instead “control.”
We should “deny ourselves” and “take up our cross daily,” Jesus says, and follow him (Luke 9:23).
Daily our “self” produces desires that should be “denied” or “controlled.”
That path that leads to heaven is narrow and strewn with suicidal temptations to abandon the way. Therefore Jesus says, “Strive(agonize to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24).
We get a taste of what is involved from Matthew 5:29, “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you.” This is the fierceness of self-control. This is what is behind the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:12, “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” Are you laying hold on the kingdom fiercely?
Paul says that Christians exercise self-control like the Greek athletes, only our goal is eternal, not temporal.
“Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Corinthians 9:25). So he says, “I pommel my body and subdue it” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
Self-control is saying no to sinful desires, even when it hurts.
But the Christian way of self-control is NOT “Just say no!” The problem is with the word “just.” You don’t just say no. You say no in a certain way: You say no by faith in the superior power and pleasure of Christ. It is just as ruthless. And may be just as painful. But the difference between worldly self-control and godly self-control is crucial. Who will get the glory for victory? That’s the issue. Will we get the glory? Or will Christ get the glory? If we exercise self-control by faith in Christ’s superior power and pleasure, Christ will get the glory.
Fundamental to the Christian view of self-control is that it is a gift. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . . self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).
How do we “strive” against our fatal desires? Paul answers: “I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Colossians 1:29). He “agonizes” by the power of Christ not his own. Similarly he tells us, “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live” (Romans 8:13). “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). We must be fierce! Yes. But not by our might.
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31).
And how does the Spirit produce this fruit of self-control in us? By instructing us in the superior preciousness of grace, and enabling us to see and savor (that is, “trust”) all that God is for us in Jesus. “The grace of God has appeared . . . instructing us to deny . . . worldly desires . . . in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12).
When we REALLY see and believe what God is for us by grace through Jesus Christ, the power of wrong desires is broken.
Therefore the fight for self-control is a fight of faith.
“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” (1 Timothy 6:12). amen
Read MoreAnd this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God”(Philippians 1:9-11 NIV).
Think of somebody who irritates you — maybe somebody you’ve got a strained relationship with or who just rubs you the wrong way. Two questions for you:
- One, do you pray for that person?
- Or do you just complain and grumble and nag and nitpick?
If you prayed more, you’d have a lot less to grumble, complain, nag, an$d nitpick about. It’s your decision.
Does nagging work? No. Does prayer work? Yes.
So why do you do more of the thing that doesn’t work than the one that does?
Pastor Friend of mine always says: “It is better to Bless others then Blast them”.
Paul says in Philippians 1:4,“Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy”.
Paul didn’t just pray for people in his life. He prayed with joy!
- Positive praying is more effective than positive thinking. All the positive thinking in the world isn’t going to change your husband or your wife or your child or your friend or your situation.
- Positive thinking can change you, but it won’t change somebody else. But positive prayer can make a difference in someone else.
Do you want to know the quickest way to change a bad relationship to a good one? Start praying blessings for the other person! It will change you, and it can change the other person.
Paul even told us how to pray for others: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
From these verses, we can learn to pray for the people in our lives in four ways:
- Pray that they will grow in love:“This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”
- Pray that they will make wise choices: “… so that you may be able to discern what is best …”
- Pray that they will live with integrity: “… and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ …”
- Pray that they will become like Jesus: “… filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.”
Pray these for yourself and anyone else in your life, and watch how God turns around the relationship you thought was hopeless. Nothing is impossible with God! Amen
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