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 MoreIf we are to become more and more like Christ each day—then we should know and teach daily “Jesus Character” found in His Sermon and Teaching on the Mount-for US to find Purpose, Meaning, and comfort in life.
The 8 Beatitudes–Matthew 5:3-10
1. Vs 3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
*Moral Bankruptcy to self—result-we are Accepted–Is. 55:1
2. Vs 4 God blesses those who mourn,for they will be comforted.
*Admit and regret our failure–result-we are Forgiven and have peace—2 Cor. 7:10.
3. Vs 5 God blesses those who are meek(humble),for they will inherit the whole earth.
*Ask Holy Spirit the need and follow through in obedience–result-give up control to control everything. Result- Freedom—Jer. 9:23-24
4. Vs 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
*Actively Pursue God and His will–Result-I am filled with God’s Love-I am Satisfied. Eph. 3:17-19.
5. Vs 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
*Jesus forgives me of my sins when I sincerely confess them and extend loving forgiving accepting spirit toward others. Result involved in others lives-I am Kind hearted. Matthew 25:37-40.
6. Vs 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
*Be totally honest and do not suppress the truth(Ro. 1:18). Be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit and be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Ro. 12:2). Result-transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ my Lord. I am now Honest. 1 John 3:1-3.
7. Vs 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
*I bring a message of reconciliation, healing and hope to all who will listen. Result-I am an Ambassador. 2 Cor. 5:20.
8. Vs 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
*We now are fully devoted to Jesus. Result- I will joyfully accept whatever comes my way because of my Loyalty to Jesus Christ. I am Courageous. Colossians 3:1-4
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
Thank You Jesus for Your Wisdom. I Pray the world will take Your perfect Teachings and put them into practice for Your Glory and our joy knowing You are our one and only Savior. Amen
In His Presence: Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:13-14).
God’s goal for all of us is Christlikeness, or spiritual maturity. When He saved you, He put everything necessary for this process inside you. But maturity takes time. Growing up and becoming a spiritual adult is a process, not a single event.
Spiritual adulthood is the process of God bringing us to the place where we are consistently living life from the perspective of the Spirit rather than the perspective of the flesh.
Maturity in Christ means you normally look at and react to things from a spiritual perspective. God wants us to get to this place of maturity, to live as we were created to be. But many of us are not yet living the Christlike life, which means we are immature. If we are living like that, we are children, tossed here and there by every new fad that comes along.
Becoming a mature believer takes time. You don’t become mature overnight. A baby doesn’t hop, skip, and jump into adulthood. The Bible tells us that maturity is a process: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
In a very real sense, this maturing process will go on for the rest of your natural life, but there is a point you can reach where you are consistently responding to things from a spiritual perspective.
Romans 8: 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Amen
Read MoreTo walk with Christ is to walk in love.
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you…”Ephesians 5:1-2
Obedience To The “Heavenly Vision”
Acts 26:19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
What is heaven’s mission “It is to spread the Gospel”
John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Today people are non-stop in their daily lives, but are we really LIVING or EXISTING?
Life with each generation seems to become busier than ever, even with technology where we thought it would accomplish more with less, well, we all know where that has taken us!
If we lose “the heavenly vision” God has given us, we alone are responsible—not God.
We lose the vision because of our own lack of spiritual growth. We put down the Word of God and that is our start of backsliding.
If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled.
The only way to be obedient to “the heavenly vision” is to give our best for His glory.
Jesus was never to busy.
It is essential that we live and “walk in the light” of God’s vision for us (1 John 1:7).
Personal Ambition and Pride must die.
We learn that we do not live to build up ourselves any longer.
***We live only to be an instrument of the working of Jesus Christ. And we must learn the truth which Jesus taught his own disciples when he was here in the flesh, “Without me you can do nothing…” (John 15:5b).
You can do what? “Nothing!” You may do a lot in the eyes of the world. What you do might be esteemed there.
**But in the eyes of God, without him it is nothing.
Lord, I pray that I will learn the lesson, and that I will be willing to be a person no longer holding onto control of the program myself but quite willing to follow where you lead, and to trust in your life in me to be all that it takes to do all that needs to be done. Yes and may I only boast of you and Your work through it all. Amen
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Psalm 119:140 Your promises [O God] have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.
What a beautiful truth, God’s promises have been thoroughly tested. They are not just theories, they are not just abstract theology, they are something that stand the test of life and circumstances. I want to give my personal testimony in line with that.
There’s a promise of God that meets each need that arises in our lives and those promises stand the test, they really work.
Don’t be discouraged if people have let you down, don’t become embittered or resentful, because that won’t help you, but turn your eyes to God. Focus on His faithfulness, concentrate on His promises and you’ll find that thy have been tested and tried. Below are a couple of the thousands in the Bible.
Psalms 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
AMEN AMEN Thank you Jesus for the promises we can know as absolute Truth because they come from YOU.
Read MoreWhat is the meaning of life?
*God knows everything. So we should look to him to find out what it means. Without God life can have no meaning at all.
We must find our purpose and God will never leave us nor forsake us no matter the mistakes we have made in the Past.
* How can we know of our purpose unless we talk to the ONE who created us? God created us and knows our True Identity!
*We cannot know who we are unless we speak to the Father and He is the only one who can answer us and give us the purpose for our life. “My Identity”!
First-We must get a clear understanding of who we are.
Romans 8:17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
1 John 2:29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
**We are the righteousness of God and joint heirs with Christ.
To eliminate our “Identity Crisis”.
We need to take responsibility and take Action and Move Forward.
1.) Ask; ask your creator and spend time with your Father. Ask Him what your design is and what is your purpose
2.) Burden; what is it that we have a burden for?
*Many have passions but very few have burdens.
*When we find out our burden, we must pursue it.
*There is a difference between our burdens and passions.
*Passions may make you rich but will never take you to your purpose
3.) Dream; Dream Big and write them down and get them out of our heads and on papers so that we can see it everyday.
*Make your dreams tangible and physical instead of imaginary.
4.) Exposure; we will never learn new things by staying in the same place around the same people. INSANITY
5.) Faith; believe it to the fullest.
*We will not get anywhere half stepping.
Have faith First in God then whatever it is your doing.
6.) Go for it; whatever it is we are reaching for, we just need to get started.
We are told to enjoy him. Psalm 34:8 “taste and see that the Lord is good”
When we enjoy God and his gifts we will feel fulfilled.
* Without God we or the universe have no reason to exist!
**Jesus offers that life to us now. We need to go out and tell people about the Hope we have. “Our Testimony”.
*Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a lifestyle!
Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I’m sorry for the multiple sins I’ve made. Right now, I open my life to you, please come into my life and take control of my life, forgive my sins, and thank you that one day I will be in heaven with you forever. Jesus I want you to know that I love you. Amen
Read MoreMen’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 MoreGod’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
“He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” – John 8:47
*Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God’s voice is first to be one of His children.
(John 10:1-5).”The Shepherd is always representative of Christ.
*Sheep are representative of God’s children. This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd’s voice.
There are three ways I believe God reveals his will to his people.
1. First, God will show you his will by his Word, the Bible.
*The better you know your Bible, the better you will know the will of God.
*The Bible represents the thoughts of God, the ways of God, and shows how God operates.
*So as you search the Scriptures, God will speak to you.
2. Not only does God speak through his Word, but God speaks through his witness, the Holy Spirit.
*You can pray and ask God to speak to you through his Spirit and reveal his will to you that way.
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
3. Number three is God’s wisdom.
*We’re told that we can ask of God if we lack wisdom and he will fully and freely give it to us.
*Now, wisdom may come from within us, or it may come from others around us.
*But God wants to give us wisdom in our decisions.
*The Book of Proverbs is the Wisdom Book. Need Wisdom? Read A Chapter of Proverbs Daily and listen to what the word is telling you!
So as you navigate the difficult decisions of life, trust in God’s Word, his witness of the Spirit, and his abundant wisdom to guide your paths and reveal his will to you!
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Come Lord Jesus—Come, the door is open! Amen
Read MoreRemember what Scripture is:!
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.
First pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
Then ask questions of the passage you are reading and studying.
Below are some suggested questions and sample verses to help study Scripture
Is there a promise to claim?
John 6:35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Is there a command to obey?
Colossians 4: 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Is there a habit to break?
Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
What Godly qualities should I demonstrate?
Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Is there a truth to fellow?
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.”
How are you encouraged?
Philippians 2:1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Is there someone to forgive?
Matthew 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Scripture will transform us!
Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 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. Amen
Read More. ..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“But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” – Matthew 7:26
A wise man:
* Hears and pays attention to Gods word.
* He yields his heart to the instruction of other believers.
* He speaks Gods word to others and has conversations with others.
* A Godly man is able to teach and is teachable.
* He applies what he learns or gleans.
* Wisdom becomes the application of knowledge.
*He seeks to build and establish something that will last and is not temporary.
There were two kinds of people in the days of Jesus.
1. Some heard the words that Jesus spoke and were awed by His wisdom and understanding, but did nothing about what they heard.
2. Others heard those words and acted on them.
Jesus said that those who heard the words but failed to put them into practice were foolish and likened them to building a house on sand.
How foolish, indeed, it would be to build a house on sand.
The person who followed what Jesus taught was a person who would be sure to weather life’s storms.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).
You never know how well your house is built until it is tested by the elements.
*Torrential rains reveal the quality of your roof.
*Wind and cold reveal how well your home is insulated.
*Heat and sun reveal the quality of your paint and siding.
All these elements reveal whether a solid foundation has been laid to make your home a secure and lasting place to live.
*Many of us find that we have given only lip service to God’s commands.
*We are faced with the reality that our foundations are not strong enough to weather life’s storms.
When God sends a storm it’s to expose what’s not sturdy. Some of this stuff was pretty but not sturdy.
Lord, I pray –Knowing You are always listening.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Thank You Jesus! Amen
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“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
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