Devotions - Prayer
The Cross has been forgotten in many Christian homes and churches, simply because we have chosen to place our human happiness above God’s Will.
“For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Take Up His Cross Daily
Can you recall Jesus’ radical philosophy: “Be a servant, give to others”?
The basis of that statement is tucked away in Luke 9:23.
Following Christ is a costly, unselfish decision. He says: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
When you look closely at Jesus’ statement, a couple of things seem important.
*First, those who desire to follow Him closely must come to terms with self-denial.
*And second, this decision to give ourselves to others (taking up our cross) has to be a daily matter.
Some questions we must ask and answer ourselves are:
*Am I serious about being a follower of Jesus Christ?
*Do I think of others to such an extent that self-denial is becoming the rule rather than the exception in my life?
*Is my walk with Him a daily thing?
*A thorough self-examination is one of the requisites for following closely. Paul tells us to abound in generosity, be givers, be people who excel in unselfishness. That’s costly stuff, terribly expensive. Can we pay the price?
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
When I believe the Good News of the cross the power of God becomes a reality in my life.
Lord I thank you for your indwelling presence in my life made possible by the work of Christ on the cross. Amen
Read MoreIn the Bible, God’s Life is often referred to as a “fountain of living water” welling up and filling us to overflowing.
* “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” John 7:38
“Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Psalm 32:2
This verse sounds all well and good, but in reality we are still carrying the weight of sin we can’t seem to forget or forgive ourselves for.
Yet, His Word assures us that God does not count our sin against us. So how can we live in this truth?
I’ve discovered through our key verse that the first step is acknowledging our sins: to ourselves and to God.
1. Confession reconciles our heart with God’s heart.
2. The next thing is to begin filling our heart and mind with truth. Throughout the Bible, God teaches how an un-accepting heart can be changed and softened to accept His forgiveness.
The following verses are truths from a loving God who longs to transform our lives through the grace of His forgiveness.
My God doesn’t condemn.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
My master is grace not sin.
“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14
My Savior Jesus has set me free, therefore I am free.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
My old is gone; because of Jesus Christ I am new.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
*Are you lugging a load of sin that God has already forgiven and forgotten?
*Are you ready to stop living in shame, shackled by regret?
*Life is too short to exchange the freedom of grace for the bondage of our unbelief.
Today, let’s allow God to wash the hurt and regret from past sins away with the transforming power of His truth.
And let’s pray for an accepting heart that lives in the freedom of God’s grace and forgiveness.
Dear Lord, by faith I accept Your forgiveness and refuse to be a slave to forgiven sin any longer. Today, I confess and move on! I commit to believing Your transforming truths to live fully and freely in Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Isaiah 44:22 “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”
Read MorePsalms 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord’s help; then he listened to me and heard my cry.
2 He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure.
We all have pits we fall into—that’s just life—but God’s Word shows us that as Christians we are to face our pits through eyes of faith.
Maybe you are stuck in a pit right now.
*It could be a difficult relationship, a financial hole, an illness—something you’ve been caught in for a while—and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to climb out.
*Your situation may look fatal & terminal but God’s saying you won’t die; you’ll live to declare the goodness of the Lord.
James 1:2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, 3 for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.
One type of pit is the kind we create for ourselves.
*We may fall back into an old sin habit or unhealthy life pattern that keeps us going in circles.
*We find ourselves drifting, wandering, moving farther away from the abundant life God has provided.
*But it does not matter what kind of pit we are in. Our merciful Lord makes a way for us out of every one of them.
Psalms 34:19 Good people suffer many troubles, but the Lord saves them from them all;
“Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?” (Matthew 12:11).
Jesus says, “It doesn’t matter if you created your pit. Even the law won’t stop Me from coming to lift you out of it.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.
Today, make the decision to shake off any negative, self-defeating mindsets.
*Choose to cooperate with God.
*Trust that He is preparing you for promotion.
*As you keep an attitude of faith, expectancy and thanks giving, He will lift you up out of the pit and set you on the solid path of victory He has in store for you!
Thank You Lord, for using every situation in my life for my good. I bless You today no matter what is going on around me, knowing that You have a good plan for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
” We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Ro. 8:28)
Read MoreToday’s opportunities erase yesterday’s failures. –Gene Brown
Around the country are houses for rehabilitation, also called “halfway houses,” where men and women who have fallen on hard times–incarceration, addiction, mental illness–have the opportunity to get a fresh start.
In these homes they learn, some for the first time, the skills that will help them function well as they reenter society–filling out a job application, opening a bank account, shopping for groceries on a budget, and so forth. Every day these men and women face a choice:
- They can look backward, allowing their past to determine their identity,
- or they can imagine a brighter future moving forward for themselves.
- Which ones succeed?
- Which ones realize the destiny God has planned for them?
Those of us facing obstacles of our own have the same choice and challenge every day. Like the Bible character Ruth, we can choose to let go of the past and start the future in a new land (Ruth 1:16).
Ruth was a woman of excellence because she wasn’t held hostage to her past.
We can learn from yesterday, but we aren’t to live in it.
The devil would love for us to stay stuck in the past. He wouldn’t even mind if, dreaming of an unrealistic future, we slacked off on what God has for us today. Each day we have the choice to embrace the future God has prepared for us.
How have you been tempted to allow an experience from the past, or a difficult season in your life, define who you are?
Living in the past or in the future means we’re not really living in the present at all. How can a clear vision of the future impact your living today?
God, I believe Your mercies are new every morning. I release yesterday to You, and I purpose to live today as the kingdom Person You’ve made me to be. Let me exalt You for any success and share with you any disappointments. Guide me to reflect on this glorious day with fond remembrance and look forward to another. Amen.
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Psalms 139:
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Ruth Bell Graham once said, “A great marriage is the union of two forgivers.”
When you forgive your spouse, you are ultimately saying to them, “I choose to give up the right to punish you for how you have hurt me.”
When we forgive another person, it doesn’t mean we forget. And it doesn’t brush it away and pretend that it didn’t happen.
Forgiveness says, “I refuse to dwell on my anger and hurt.” It is an essential step to healing and restoring oneness.
Christ’s death on the cross—His forgiveness—restored our relationship to God. Trust that God can use your forgiveness to restore your relationship and change you both for the better.
Here are 4 steps that will help you express and experience forgiveness:
- Do it privately: Go to God in prayer and say, “God, I forgive _________ for hurting me. I choose to give up the right to punish __________.”
- Do it publicly and specifically: Go to the person and be specific, “I forgive you for ________.”
- Do it graciously: Keep the bigger goal in mind, which is restoring your relationship and rebuilding trust. That means giving up your right to punish!
- Do it generously: Acknowledge your own failings to maintain balance; not one of us is perfect! And once you’ve forgiven, refuse to bring up the matter again in a hurtful way.
Forgiveness gives us the opportunity to re-establish our relationship and make things right with our spouse or a family member.
It removes the issue that creates isolation in a relationship and empowers us to grow in oneness.
10 Keys to Forgiveness:(Emmett I. Aldrich)
1) Let Go of the Anger
2) Don’t be Stubborn
3) Stop Thinking of yourself as a Victim
4) Focus on the Future
5) Re-Learn to Trust
6) Be Reasonable in your expectations of Others
7) Expect that it will take time to Forgive
8) Examine your Heart
9) Let Forgiveness become an Everyday Practice
10) Ask God for Guidance
Lord, Help me see and experience forgiveness in my life, knowing You are the God of restoration. Help me be patient, knowing Your timing is Perfect!
Help us dear God to put aside resentment, hurt, hostility and bitterness so that we may have reconciliation with those who have offended us, and whom we have offended. Amen
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Christ is actively working within you to shape your character and empower your obedience.
John 15:26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
We need to leave our failures behind and he keep moving forward.
Two wonderful absolutes.
1. The first absolute: GOD REALLY LOVES ME.
*God is not in the business of condemning His children, failures or not. He is a loving Father, wanting only to lift us out of our weaknesses.
*Sometimes we recognize His great love only when we hit bottom. You will have won a great victory if you can be convinced God loves you even in your wounded, crippled condition.
*Our strength is renewed by His everlasting love.
*Just rest in that wonderful love. Don’t panic. Deliverance will come.
2. The second absolute: IT IS MY FAITH THAT PLEASES HIM THE MOST!
“Without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).
*God counts our trust as righteousness. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. (Romans 4:3).
I may not understand why He sometimes seems to take a long time to intervene, but I know He will keep His word to me.
*God is not in the business of condemning His children, failures or not. He is a loving Father, wanting only to lift us out of our weaknesses.(Read Romans 8).
*Sometimes we recognize His great love only when we hit bottom. You will have won a great victory if you can be convinced God loves you even in your wounded, crippled condition.
*Our strength is renewed by His everlasting love.
*Just rest in that wonderful love. Don’t panic. Deliverance will come.
*When Adam sinned, he tried to hide from God.
*When Jonah refused to preach to Nineveh, his fear drove him into the ocean to flee from the presence of the Lord.
*When Peter denied Christ, he was afraid to face Him.
God has shown us a truth: Something much worse than failure is the fear that goes with it.
**Adam, Jonah and Peter ran away from God not because they had lost their love for Him, but because they were afraid He was too angry with them to understand.
Satan uses such fear to make people think there is no use trying.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Jesus, Help me see your Character in people as well as myself—-Knowing we all are Your Masterpieces. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Read MoreWhen the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. – Exodus 31:18
Throughout the Bible, the word testimony is used in many ways. Testimony comes from the Hebrew word eduwth, which means “witness.”
The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, written and inscribed personally by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. These became known as the testimony. The ark was a divinely inspired structure that was to be used as a witness to the people of Israel and the whole world of God’s power and majesty.
These divinely created tablets were a witness of God’s activity on earth with man.
Throughout the Bible, God looked to create testimonies with His people.
-At the Red Sea, He created a testimony through Moses.
-God created a testimony through Joshua when He parted the Jordan River and allowed the people with the Ark to cross on dry land.
-When Lazarus lay dead for days, Jesus came and created a testimony of His ability to raise the dead.
Jesus is still looking for those who are willing to have a testimony created through their lives. One of the major characteristics of a God-ordained testimony is for something to happen that cannot be explained in the natural.
In other words, if you can make it happen through your abilities, it is not a testimony about God, but about you.
God wants to create a testimony in every aspect of your life – your family, your work, your church, and in your community. He is waiting to put His finger on your next endeavor to reveal His power through your life.
Look carefully at the events where God might want to create a testimony out of an impossible situation.
He delights in using His children for this purpose because it brings Him glory.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 – Acts 21:11-12 Amen
1 Thess. 4: 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
*One must understand that sex is good under the covenant of marriage.
Live holy lives not impure lives. To Reject living holy– means rejecting God.
*God gave us his Holy Spirit and the power through His Spirit so believers can live holy lives.
2 Timothy 2:22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
*You once lived a life you don’t want to go back too. You accepted Jesus, the Lord almighty, as your Savior. Don’t go back too your old ways. (see Eph. 2;1-10)
MOVE FORWARD–— Jesus put your sin to death and you are to keep your sin at death.
Our purity will determine the extent to which God will use us and demonstrate His power in us.
Those who truly love God will seek to obey him, which is really what purity is.
Holiness is not the absence of sin, but the presence of God in your life.
*If we are slaves to sin, we will never be free. Jesus’ standard is the one to live up to.
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.”
We must proclaim God’s holiness on earth, just as it is proclaimed in heaven.
*The Enemy Will Cause You To Believe That Holiness Is Too Restrictive.. That Doing Things His Way Will Be More Fun.
•Holiness is a way of you saying “God I love you”
•Holiness is not the absence of sin, but the presence of God in your life.
***Holiness Is A Choice, Your Choice
•True holiness is not marked by what we don’t do, but by what we do.
•If we do not have a balanced look at holiness, we will end up with a lot of baggage.
Col. 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (John Piper)
Father, I choose right now to reject an impure life and ask by faith that the Holy Spirit would take control of my life so I would honor you as holy before all men. Thank You for all your gifts. In Jesus name – Amen
This world is not our home. In Christ, we are destined for the Heaven of GOD.
Col. 3:2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hold lightly to the things of this world that are temporary, saints of GOD, and grip tightly the things of GOD that will last forever in His EternalKingdom.
Let your heart and mind be focused on eternal reality instead of allowing your current situation and circumstances to sap your strength and vitality. Yield to this mighty work of redemption.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
You may be wondering, “Lord, why is my job so upsetting to me? Why do I always feel like an outsider? What’s wrong with me?”
There is nothing wrong with you. God is at work!
*He is keeping you sick and tired of this dying world.
*He is saying, “You can’t get too involved in ‘making it’ here because it is all going up in smoke.
***Set your affections on things above— on the new world that is coming.”
You answer, “But what a waste. I’m so full of energy. I have talent, ideas, a sharp mind, a desire to accomplish much. Yet I feel stifled, stymied. It’s so
frustrating.”
I have good news for you: When it all ends and your scoffing friends are cut off—their work melted to nothing, their careers dissolved, their money
burned—your work is just about to begin.
God has everything under control.
You see, heaven is not a retirement center. Rather, our eternal home is a place of great action, full of new horizons and incredible plans.
God is going to fully use ALL your gifts, talents and desires there.
*God is not going to waste a thing He has given you.
*On the contrary, your gifts will be magnified many times over.
God is going to use you for His glory in eternity!
What a relief my heart experiences as I stop looking to others to fill me and find Jesus as my constant, day after day, contentment.
Take time today to go to Him and ask Him to fill up the empty places and refresh the areas of your heart that are dry.
Jesus is The One and only who can fill and complete us.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”
Lord, help me to recognize You are The One my heart is looking for. Each and every day, teach me to look to You to fill the love gap in my heart. Thank You Jesus for Eternity being with You! Amen
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Ever Felt like you are not GOOD-ENOUGH for God?
Never feel embarrassed to tell him how bad you have sinned .
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
*God’s forgiveness is complete, entire, whole, immediate.
When you don’t come to God to be forgiven, it is as if you refuse to listen to Him.
By not hearing God, you separate yourself from Him.
Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ — and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
*When you ask for forgiveness, God forgives you. It is as if He removes the earplugs from your ears, and you can hear Him again.
I’ve been told for years that when I forgive myself I’ll be free.
1 John 1:9 offers a promise. When we hold up our sin before God, He is faithful and just to forgive ALL our sins.
Faithful to us? Yes, to us. But also faithful to who He is, and His plan for our forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as JESUS bore OUR sin.
But it doesn’t end there. You see, when we are forgiven, our sin is re-framed.
*Yes it still happened.
*But God removes it from us as far as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 13 The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Perhaps you carry shame, guilt or fear. You’ve been trying to forgive yourself, but realize you can’t undo the past.
You’ve said you’re sorry. You have changed. But the guilt or burden remains.
Hand that shame to your Savior today, and allow Him to hurl it as far as the east is from the west.
It’s not your burden to carry any longer.
Romans 8:1 So now there is NO condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Read MoreThe bow is seen in the clouds. Genesis 9:14
The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, foreshadows our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord’s witness to the people.
When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner’s conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin and mourns and laments before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and declaring peace.
To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ—to see Him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God’s rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. By itself a cloud does not give a rainbow; there must be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun.
So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There would have been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: Punishment must fall in terrible drops upon Him.
Until there is a real anguish in the sinner’s conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement that he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus.
But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of rain do not make rainbows unless the sun shines. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see Him—clouds hide His face; but no matter what drops may be falling or what clouds may be threatening, if He shines there will be a rainbow at once.
It is said that when we see the rainbow, the shower is over.
It is certain that when Christ comes, our troubles withdraw; when we look on Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks upon the waters of the sea, how profound the calm! Amen
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Man has revolted against God. We are all “sinners.”
Psalms 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
**Let’s Ask God through the day to cleanse us of sin.
*If you are recovering from a serous sin’ it’s hard to imagine teaching others or being spiritually helpful to others, yet that is what God desires and plans for us.
Not too soon—mind you, and not without the oversight of mature believers, but eventually God’s intention is for us to get back in the game.
*Everything-even our sin-can be used by God to help others and heal ourselves. (Romans 8:28 is a great read)
Psalms 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
*It is amazing how God looks beyond our mistakes and failures and find something worthwhile in us.
Yes God punished David for his mistakes but still, He looked beyond all that and found a right spirit, a repentant spirit and a man who was sincerely after His heart.
Perfection may be a tall order for us, but a heart after the heart of God is what moves God. A broken, contrite and honest heart is what he asks for. I’m convinced a lot of us take pride in our doctrine when what the Lord desires from us is just our affection. “To Know Him is to have Eternal life”(JN 17:3).
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
*Steps To Personal Deliverance–Lifestyle evangelism.
1. Admit that you have a problem.
2. Confess with a repentant heart.
3. Ask God for forgiveness.
4. Turn away from your past life.
5. Obey the Holy Spirit by hearing and reading Scriptures.
1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
*We might deceive ourselves about our own sin by rationalizing or minimizing the wrong.
*We might blame other people or circumstances instead of accepting responsibility.
*No matter how we deceive ourselves, it is important to understand the dangers of deceit.
The most important danger of delusion is what it does to our relationship with God.
If we deny our sin, we are calling God a liar. We are blocking our own path to walking with him
Is there sins in our life that we’ve been denying? Ask God to help you admit the wrong, take responsibility for it, and turn to him for forgiveness. He will help you and me overcome.
Lord help me be a doer of your word–not a bench warmer. Teach me more and more of what Your love(agape) means and looks like for my neighbor as well as my marriage, my kids, my grandkids, my friends and myself. God, You are love and You are the only solid foundation upon which human love can be built. Help Love be a LIFESTYLE!. Amen
Read More“On the cross, Jesus broke the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
Through Jesus our Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
Jesus has won the battle and we stand firm in Him — ‘It is finished!’”
WE DO FIGHT FROM VICTORY——–NOT FOR VICTORY!!!
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
*What we are experiencing is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, with man’s eternal destiny at stake.
Jesus warns that without him we are but helpless victims under the control of Satan, the strong man.
* But the good news is that through His cross and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Through Jesus our savior and Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
* JESUS “the Overcomer” has won the battle — “It is finished!”
Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Faith-Prayer. These are the weapons of our warfare.
They are not of the flesh, they are not of the world; but they are mighty. They have divine power to the eliminating of strongholds, pulling down high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
They all work together. You can hardly isolate the one from the other; they are all necessary.
It is important, though, for our own personal benefit that we be aware that the children of the Wicked One are placed among the true believers.
Our best defense is to preach the Word of God without watering it down. See 1 Corinthians 4:6
*False brethren will not endure sound doctrine.
*They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart. Stick to the Word!
* Remember today that things start with a thought and it’s what you do with that thought that determines the outcome of the situation. Amen
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ETERNAL HAPPINESS= NOT WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND ME—IT’S ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN ME
It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known.
*What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
THE BIG IDEA:
God wants to get me THROUGH whatever is grieving my heart. (God sympathizes with my weakness because he was tempted just like me…)
GOD SEES! GOD CARES! GOD HELPS!
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE = rehashing hurts of past.
*RELEASE HURT TO GOD
*STOP FOCUSING ON PAST (Philippians 3:13-14)
*IT’S NOT ABOUT ME (get off SELFISH attitudes/behaviors).
Three options to pain:
1. Repress them
2. Rehearse them
3. Resent (retalliate) them
*RELEASE IT….Romans 12:19-21 (“I will repay……”)
I’ve been abandoned but I can repress my feelings and resent those who’ve hurt me OR I CAN GIVE IT ALL TO GOD! (Romans 1:18)
WE ARE COMFORTED BY:
1. THE WORD
2. THE CHURCH BODY
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
Peter said “Save me Jesus” (walking on water, but started looking at storm and grew afraid).
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
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.
* “And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”. Jeremiah 24:7
Read MoreAgape not only lets us be who we really are, but it also frees the ones we love to be fully themselves. All our relationships will be affected when we love like this.
* “Let love be without hypocrisy.” Romans 12:9
*Treat others as you want to be treated.
Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince you that you are flawed or worthless.
The Lord has not and will not condemn you. You are the Lord’s special treasure, chosen for His own purposes.
Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you. Do not believe them.
Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
…with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14b).
Christ is the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before Him. If you are wearing that “breastplate,” you can rest secure that your heart, your emotions, are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack.
This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. *Christians often feel they lack assurance.
*They feel unworthy of God.
*They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that He is no longer interested in them.
*They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings.
*Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that He is far off somewhere.
*There is a constant sense of guilt and shame. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy.
*They feel God blames them.
How do you answer an attack like this?
You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness.
* In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God.
*You gave all that up when you came to Christ.
*You quit trying to be good enough to please God.
*You came on His merits.
*You came on the ground of His imputed righteousness—that which He gives to you.
*You began your Christian life like that, and there is no change now. You are still standing before God on that basis.
Paul himself used this breastplate of righteousness when he was under pressure to be discouraged and defeated.
“What’s the use? Here I am working my fingers to the bone, making tents and trying to preach the gospel to these people, and look at the blessing God has brought them, but they don’t care. They hurl recriminations back into my face. Why try anymore?” But that is not what he does. Instead, he says,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15: l0a). There he is using the breastplate of righteousness.
“I don’t care,” he says, “what I have been; I don’t defend what I am. I simply say to you, by the grace of God, I am what I am.
What I am is what Christ has made me.
*I’m not standing on my righteousness; I’m standing on His. I am accepted by grace, and my personal situation does not make any difference at all.” So Paul’s heart was kept from discouragement.
*Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences.
*Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
* Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
The enemy has launched another round of reproach in an effort to try to get you to entertain fear of failure, to be overwhelmed with disapproval, and to dump down into hopelessness. But, the devil is a liar. You must be reminded that you are precious to the Lord. His love for you is true and forever. Abide in God’s love and in truth.
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Father may these words meet me right where I am and help me right in the conflict in which I am engaged. Lift up my heart by the consciousness that Christ is my righteousness. Lord Jesus help me turn my back in my old ways most especially the ways influenced by the devil. Lord Jesus please send me the Holy Spirit and give me wisdom so that I may discern good from evil; and that I may totally leave my old life and start a new life with You O Lord Jesus Christ. Please Lord be my life. Amen.
“ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph. 2:10