Devotions - Prayer
We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
* “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12
Freedom and Boundaries
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?'” – Genesis 3:1.
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries:
*Freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us.
*Boundaries to protect us from evil.
***The boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of limiting Adam.
** Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our life.
When ever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. Life is the SAME in-Marriage, Kids, Family, Friends.
**You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God’s authority.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God’s will for His life.
It was God’s will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the temptation. God was showing His Son that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. *Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God.
**Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life.
***These are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it!!!
* We are who we are– through the thoughts we have.
* Take your thoughts captive – know your Bible.
** Thoughts » habits » circumstance**
* When was the last time you thought about what your thinking about?
* Peace comes by fixing our thoughts
1) You can change your thoughts.
2) Fix your thoughts on what is true, pure and noble.
3) Think about things that are worthy of praise.
* Don’t doubt your purpose here and now!
* Choose a few promises and speak them over your life for 2012.
* God doesn’t do it for us, we have to use our faith and take Action.
* Think big, dream big for 2012
* Bring your thoughts under the obedience of God.
You Are so so Worthy. You are God’s Masterpiece. Let go and let God. Let God have the strongholds that are holding you back from being ALL that God has intended.
*A stronghold is an area where we are held in bondage, any part of our lives where satan has imprisoned us.
* As long as we believe things that are not true, we will remain imprisoned by those strongholds.
*The Word of God is the weapon that sets us free from the strongholds.
***Effective Weapons: preaching, teaching, books, tapes, seminars, small Bible study groups, private studies, prayer, and praise.
***Praise helps us keep our mind on God, His power, and the good things that are happening in our lives.
***Prayer reflects a Relationship with God and shows that we depend on Him.
*Jesus promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20). We can win with our weapons because they are spiritual weapons.
Examples of strongholds are “God doesn’t love me”, “His promises don’t apply to me”, “He could never forgive me for what I did”, “I don’t have to change because God made me that way”, “I don’t have to forgive because what that person did to me was unforgivable”, “God doesn’t work that way anymore”, “I’m un-worthy”, I’m the black Sheep of the family”, and “I can’t share the gospel because…” To mention a few.
The enemy will try anything to separate us from God and keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Him. That is why we need to put our spiritual armor on every day. *We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice. Set up Boundries in your life that allows you the TIME to spend with Jesus-LISTENING
AGAIN: We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice.
* We have to be humble and open to correction.
When our strongholds are broken down, we can glorify God more freely and openly. We are set FREE!
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made YOU alive with Christ, for he forgave ALL our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
(Colossians 2:13-15)
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories. When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence and for us To Heal!
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of ALL good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him. It’s by God’s grace that He uses any of us.
**Anyone who claims to be used of God because of his great holiness is either deceived or a deceiver.
*** It’s our faith in the grace of God that allows His Love to flow through us.
Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord. Then, you will be able to discern spiritually. However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions. Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant. Obtain and maintain purity.
**Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Let’s Bring Back Jesus this Christmas!!
“A Vision without Action is only a Delusion”. Moving Forward!
Most people have forgotten what the meaning of Christmas really is. It’s a time to celebrate something very important— the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ— that’s right the “Star” of the show!!! Not santa claus, shopping, material gifts,Parties without Jesus etc.
*If we ALL make room for Jesus this Season with family and friends— who knows what could come from our circumstances!
*We all sin, Christians and non-Christians, but what we do after sinning is what matters.
Psalms 51: 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
* No matter who you are, God can use you.
* No matter what problems you face, God is with you.
*No matter what He promises, God can do.
An Angel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary’s response: ” “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Lord, I pray today you renew my heart so that I can live in your perfect will and take Time each day to Listen to You. I want a clean heart, free of doubt. Help me to bring Jesus Back to the CENTER of Christmas and every day of my life. *Help me to trust You and put Your Boundries up in All roles of my Life.
I know The key to that is to spend time feeding my hunger…by getting full on Your Perfect Word…Knowing that Your promises are not made by man. In Your time Lord, Your Promises will manifest and come to fruition. Help me Meditate on Your Word daily…all through my day…in my thoughts and my actions… My faith and dependency upon the Lord relies on the intimate time that I share with You Lord. In these times, I must converse…I must talk AND listen! I must hear AND follow…
Thank you for this day to have the opportunity to Glorify You Jesus! Amen
Once we believe a LIE that God cannot meet a need without OUR effort, we open our spirit to a stronghold!!
**Break the power of Sin’s promises by Faith in the Superior satisfaction of God’s promises.(Read 2 Peter 1:3-4).
One of the most valuable weapons in your arsenal is discernment. Ask for discernment, and the Lord will show you how to fight effectively and gain the victory in warfare.(See 1JN 4:4″Victory”)
The battle is the Lord’s, but you are His battle axes and weapons of war.
Fight against the Battles in faith and with the authority that the Lord has given you to overcome.
* Jeremiah 51:20 “You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms.”
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4
The Bible says when Christ comes to live in your heart, old things are passed away, all things become new (see 2 Cor. 5:17 and Eph. 2:1-10).
The Lord has put a new Spirit in us. We are His Workmanship!!!
When I was young in my faith, I could not understand why so many of us who proclaimed Christ had such little impact on the kingdom of darkness.
It seemed to me that our culture should be impacted much more if His children walked in the light as Jesus did.
Jesus impacted His culture like no other man. (1JN 1:5-8).
I saw other believers as well as myself, who proclaimed Christ, living no differently than a person who had not claimed Him as Lord. (Sunday Christian)
At this point I saw myself and others had a form of religion, but little power that reflected Christ’s rule in our lives. This was a stronghold that had been implanted many generations earlier (for me it was “I’m a good person so I will go to heaven”). Because the stronghold operated on a subconscious level, it was not easily recognizable.
**Strongholds keep us from being free to reflect Christ in and through our lives because they require allegiance until they are Dealt with(from small areas of life to major ones-till dealt with we will be in bondage).
** Strongholds can often be so hidden that we would not even identify them as evil.
**A stronghold of fear, control, rebellion, insecurity, idolatry, pride, un- forgiveness, unworthiness, past hurts, false beliefs or doctrine, anger or bitterness may be hidden until it is revealed through circumstances.
All strongholds are built in our lives as a result of seeking to meet one or more of seven basic needs God has created in us.
**Once we believe a LIE that God cannot meet a need without OUR effort, we open our spirit to a stronghold!!
* The more lies we believe, the more we invite these strongholds to take root in our lives.
*** Are you ineffective in your Christian experience?
**Are there besetting sins that seem to recur in your life?
***You may find that satan has built a fortress in your heart that has been there many generations.
You must ask God’s forgiveness for entertaining this stronghold, and you must renounce it.(Get some personal prayer here, that is why we(believers) are the Body of Christ).
Then as Christ renews your Mind (Ro. 12-2-3) and Heart, you will see Christ’s power released in your life like never before. Do not Suppress the Truth(Ro. 1:17-18).
**You can be set Free of the Strongholds and be set on the right path free of guilt and shame by knowing what Jesus has really done for you on that Cross and the Promises Jesus Has for you in His Word.
The Lord will speak to you about a new freedom and liberty in preparation for the Release with out the stronghold that will provide an avenue by which you will be able to move to a new level of spiritual experience.
There is still much for us to learn and understand about living and walking in the Spirit. The knowledge that you gain now will be invaluable in obtaining the victory both in the natural realm and in the spiritual realm. Let Jesus lead you to new heights.
**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.
We need more Christians who will lead lives of repentance—- for repentance always challenges strongholds & pride.
If you’re coming to God daily to confess to him how much you have sinned, you will find it hard to pretend that you are holier than everybody else. You’ll find it hard to put on airs, to pose as the perfect Christian. (Be Transparent & honest–let the Truth set you FREE).
When others accuse you of sin, you won’t immediately jump to defend yourself, as if of course you could never do wrong and any accusation must be a misunderstanding. Rather, when someone accuses you of sin, you’ll respond by thinking there is a high probability that the accusation is true, and you won’t be embarrassed to say, “Oh, yes, I did do that. And I am terribly sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Come Out of the Stronghold…Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah …” (1 Samuel 22:5).
David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety. Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah. Judah means “praise.”
When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who point us into moving in the right direction (Psalm 16:11). God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of praise.
“He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners – to comfort all who mourn. … a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” (Isa 61:1-3).
It is only when we move past discouragement to Praise that we begin living above our problems. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah.
God will provide the necessary circumstances to accomplish His purposes in your life. You must realize that a problem may lead to a new calling for your life. We must realize God’s ways are not our ways.
God knows that things are going to get worse sometimes before they get better —He intended them to—but He has planted within this decaying, corrupting, morally imperfect civilization men and women like you and me who are given the privilege of standing for Truth and Righteousness in these last days. May God grant that we will be such people.
Grant to me, Lord, the courage and grace to stand, impelled by this Divine Presence within, that I might be
“a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Thank You for Your Body, the Church of believers, to stand by each other to encourage and build each other up for Your Glory and our Joy–help us to desire the Joy that comes from being satisfied with all that God IS for us In Jesus
Christ. Let us Call upon Jesus to save us from the guilt and Shame from the bondage of Strongholds. Let’s bank our Hope in ALL that God is for us in JESUS–which magnifies Jesus as the Greatest Treasure which brings us Infinite JOY than any other delight ever could. “Serve the Lord with Gladness!”
(Psalms 100:2) Amen
Finding Joy!
Psalms 37:4
1 Corinthians 10:31, 15:20
1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 10:13, 3:23-24, 6:23, 4:4-5
2 Peter 1:3-4
Philippians 3:7
Acts 3:19, 16:31
Colossians 1:4-5
MATTHEW 1:21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Let this be a MERRY SEASON-lifting up the TRUE Meaning of Christmas-Jesus!!
Ever wonder:” Why did this happen to me”?
Only God searches the heart, so only He knows the real motives behind our choices.
* “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your
hearts…”Luke 16:15
Our heart is the place where all thoughts, emotions and desires originate.
* “Watch over your heart with all diligence; for from it flow the springs of life.” Provers
4:23
A good Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2
That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19).
This is the message above all else, that the world needs to know.
The problem with people everywhere is they have NO security, NO sense of acceptance,
and NO sense of worth.
Many people have a poor self-image–they feel worthless–even the blustering people
who try to portray that they are self-sufficient.
*Deep inside they know their actions are a cover-up; (I was there-I know)
* they know they do not really feel as confident as they would lead others to believe.
*They are often scared and frustrated. *They have to pretend that they are able to handle
everything, but at the end of the day they know they did not.
I learned after a few years that all I need to do is go to people, taking for granted that they
are hurting inside from their sins, just as I was hurting from my sins, and talk about a
God who understands that, who wants to relieve them from that hurt and has done
something about it. (My/your testimony of what Jesus has done in my life).
Therefore, Jesus was not ready to throw me into hell; He was opening His arms and
inviting me to come to a loving Father and be RESTORED. That is the message.
How can I get over the past?
Here’s the key.
*The first step is to realize what you’re REALLY trying to accomplish.
*What does it REALLY mean to get over the past?
*You can’t change what happened. There’s no time machine that can send you back to
relive the past. What’s done is done.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that your situation is hopeless. What I’m saying
is that you first have to be clear about what you can and cannot change.
You CAN get over your past. But you canNOT change events that already occurred.
**The good news though, is that you
don’t have to change the past in order to get over it.
*** What you have to change is the MEANING of the past.
Think for a moment. Was there ever
a time in your life when something horrible happened and you thought, “Why is this
happening to me?”
But then a few years later you looked
back and you could answer that question.
In retrospect, you understood why it happened. At first, it seemed like the world was
caving in.
*Later, it all made sense.
*In fact, very often, we eventually realize that bad times are part of a process that leads to
something good!
*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.
**It’s the events that FOLLOW bad times that determine the ultimate meaning of
those times.
***In other words, it’s your future
that determines your past; not the other way around.
And since YOU are in charge of your
future, then YOU determine the meaning of your past.
Ecceles. 7:8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better
than the proud in spirit.
God deals you a hand. There’s nothing you can do to change that. But you get to play that
hand.
*You get to respond to the events of your life.
*And it’s your response, your actions in the future, which determine the meaning of the
events in your past.
2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.
No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants
everyone to repent.
So how do you get over the past?
*You don’t have to get over the past. The past is over! The past is over!
What’s important is the MEANING the past has for you NOW. And the MEANING of
your past is determined by your actions in the future.
God has given every believer “supernatural willpower” to make choices that go against
what we naturally think, feel or desire. These “contrary choices” are what I call “faith
choices”.
* “…for we walk by faith, not by sight…”
2 Corinthians 5:7
The people I know who have handled their past are people who went through hell in their
struggle. They “got over” their past because they used it as a catalyst to IMPROVE their
situation.
In other words, the painful events
inspired them to change themselves.
* If you make the right moves, you
will come to view certain events as birth pains that led to a new AND IMPROVED LIFE.
THAT’S how you “get over” the past.
Isaiah 43: 18 “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will
make a pathway through the wilderness.
*Life is a balancing act battling through the already & not yet….
*God is not hung up on yesterday but focused on what we can do tomorrow! The BEST
is yet to come!
*Nothing is out of bounds with God! He can still make the crooked places straight!
*We need a fresh start, Thank God for the things to come in our lives!
Phil 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one
thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach
the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is
calling us.
Jesus help me to keep my eyes on YOU, and stay in really close communion with you…
help me to see where you are moving and working… and where you want me involved
and partner with YOU in doing a new thing… in my life and my community for Your
Glory and my Joy. Amen
NEW MOVING FOWARD CLASS! An introduction this Tuesday at 6:30 at Christ
Church. Please come and hear how you can Move Forward.
Much that we do seems open ended, incomplete, not quite the way we had envisioned the
final outcome.
How can we re-do it, fix it, make it better, get it done?
May all that we have done not hold us back, stall us, or stunt the growth that is our
destiny!!!!!!
May we not camp on the incomplete and seek satisfaction there, but entrust it to God and
press on!!!!
*We fix our eyes on Christ, the author and completer of our faith.
* We are faithful to the heavenly vision and reach for the highest of goals: to be eternally
occupied in the glory of Christ’s on-going, ever-expanding Life.
***Come Join us and Move Forward together in finding out more on pursuing your
vision or dream in what our true Identity looks like from a Biblical View!
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