Devotions - Prayer
One of the ways God’s goodness is revealed is through His mercy. We may describe mercy as “the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures.”
• Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness.
• Mercy is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him.
God’s mercy to the believer is revealed by His taking away the misery of sin’s consequences through the New Covenant of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mercy is not something merited or earned, but as the Apostle Paul states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us.”
Our Heavenly Father is the author, originator, and source of all mercy.
Psalm 102:11–13 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
There’s a picture of a man in deep loneliness, despair. He feels his life is fading away like the evening shadows and there’s so little time left for him. He says, “I’m withering away like grass.” Have you ever felt like that? And what do you do if you ever feel like that?
Do what that man did. He looked away from himself, his own situation, he lifted up his eyes to the Lord and he saw the Lord by faith, on His throne, and he realized that the Lord doesn’t change with our situations and circumstances.
The Lord is always on His throne. He’s always in total control.
And then he realizes that there’s going to come a time of compassion and mercy. He says, “It’s time to show favor to Zion; the appointed time has come.” I believe we are living in that time when God is determined :
• To show mercy to His people,
• To restore His people.
So let’s look away from our problems, our distresses, our anxieties. Let’s look, like the psalmist, up to the throne of God, see God there on His throne and realize He’s ready to show mercy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 ) Born Again to a Living Hope! Amen
Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
The only reason that an abundance of iniquity would make anyone’s love for the Lord wax cold, is if he were not separated from that iniquity.
As with Lot, a righteous man can vex his soul from day to day by hearing and seeing the unlawful deeds of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:8).
We have to deal with the world’s system and those in it, but we need to be careful and maintain proper balance. We should shun relationships with those who influence us negatively more than we influence them positively.
Marriage is one area where this principle is especially true. There is no closer union in life than the marriage relationship. A believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating this scripture and is toying with disaster.
The Lord should be the most important person in our life.
*How could we possibly become “one” with a person who doesn’t love our Lord?
It is folly to think that after marriage an unbelieving spouse will accept the Lord. Although that does happen, it cannot be guaranteed.
In fact, statistics are overwhelmingly against this happening. Regardless of that possibility, a believer who marries an unbeliever is directly violating God’s instructions here. It is not a good start to any marriage to spurn God’s Word.
Being unequally yoked with unbelievers just doesn’t work. Believers and unbelievers are as different as :
- Righteousness and unrighteousness,
- Light and Darkness
- Jesus and Evil
- One has faith and the other has none.
- One is the temple of God and the other an idol.
- Any Christian who doesn’t see this conflict is deceived.
- Lord, Thank You for your Word and the hard truths that come from it to help us in our journey here on earth. Forgive me for the mistakes I have made and direct my feet onto your path. Give me more wisdom and discernment to do Your will. Amen
Forget Regret
Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don’t define your value, then or now.
When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward.
We all have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. The consequences can hit us pretty hard.
Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.
Learn from Failure
Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things. Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt.
But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives you some very important information.
This review allows you to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and more importantly, why.
Ask for Help
You are not alone. It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. Often times we are afraid to ask because we don’t believe we are worthy to receive the help.
Believe You are Worthy
Whatever your goal, your dream, or your desire, you are worthy of achieving it.
Take 100% Responsibility
Except in rare and unfortunate circumstances, you are responsible for the quality and condition of your life.
- Sometimes we choose to do nothing when we get hit hard because it’s just easier and less painful that way.
- But the real pain is only deferred.
Know What You Want
This isn’t about the how, only the what. In order to move forward in life, you need a firm foundation to step from. Understanding what and where you want to go in life will provide your vision and spirit – your foundation. The how will figure itself out when you know you want to keep moving forward.
Trust
There are no accidents without value.
When you get hit hard and land on your back, look for the reasons and for the value in this. Open your heart and trust this happened for a reason. Trust the experience is happening for a reason and be open to making adjustments in order to keep moving forward.
Want it More
How badly do you want it?
How badly do you really want to achieve what you are working so hard to accomplish? To walk through the pain; to get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead, is a test of your determination and resolve.
Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence
At the end of the day the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your faith.
Lord direct my path in 2018-2019. Help me move forward with life giving You all the Glory. Help us each to be your hands and feet for the lost, that just One may come to know you. Amen
TAKEN FROM: Alex Blackwell is the Founder of The BridgeMaker. His book, Saying Yes to Change
Read More“For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2
Let go of everything that is beyond your ability to control.
There will be things that will not work out the way you desired or intended, but the Lord’s ways are higher than your ways.
The Lord knows the beginning from the end, and He is giving you opportunities to align yourself with His purposes for your life.
Move with the flow of His Spirit to come into divine order so that His purposes will be established in, around, and through you. Do not be afraid.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Refuse to be drawn away from that which is vitally important to your spiritual well-being. Even as many things demand your attention and resources, you must continually guard your heart.
Maintain integrity and be true to yourself.
Psalms 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me.
*God’s Giving is an overflow of His character(Matthew 5:3-12 Beatitudes) and an example of how He calls us to share what we have with others.(Testimonies of what Jesus has done for us—The Cross, the Gospel)
*God gives lovingly. (Exodus 34:6)
*God gives freely. (James 1:17)
*God gives abundantly. (Psalm 132:15)
*God gives wisely. (Romans 16:27)
#3 of 8 Truths to Master Life. (You can get all 8 at):
www.movingforwardwithhope.com
I sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I need to do and empower me to follow through in obedience.
Result: I am released from my need to control everything.
I am “Free.”
*The reason for this is that I now trust God, Who knows all, and He has promised those who are meek, that they will inherit the earth. Faith is God has freed one from the burden of trying to push, manipulate or force, in order to get one’s way.
Jeremiah 9:23,24. “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Lord, help me daily to release my need to control everything. Help me come to you for direction in all my ways and thoughts—for Your Glory. Amen
Read MoreMaking the Resurrection Real for our family; only days to Easter!
“Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.” Psalm 145:3-5
Often holiday traditions can get mixed in with the real essence of holy days.
*As a child, I wondered what Santa caravanning his reindeer through snowstorms had to do with baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem.
Wasn’t that in a desert?
*I never did figure out why the Easter Bunny brought me chocolate eggs each year.
Didn’t chickens lay eggs, not rabbits?
Today’s passage from Psalms encourages us to teach our children and future generations of God’s mighty acts.
*******We are to proclaim His power over all the earth. **********
I can’t think of a more powerful act than when God raised His only Son Jesus from the dead, making a way for us to gain access to heaven to live with Him for all eternity.
There are many fun, family-bonding Easter traditions to celebrate with children.
*But this year, why not be intentional to tell the powerful story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in ways that stick in little minds?
*Attend a live passion play put on by a church in your area.
*Read the account of Jesus’ last week of life out loud as a family while enjoying a favorite snack. Read a passage each night beginning in Luke 22:1 through the end of the book of Luke and compare it to Isaiah 53 a prophesy spoken 700 + years before.
*Watch a movie on the life of Jesus.
The Jesus Film by Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) is well done with each scene coming directly from the words of the Bible. Make sure to decide if the child is ready to see a depiction of the crucifixion.
All of these activities help portray the true meaning of this sacred season and point the children to the God who created them, knows them and sent His only Son to die on a cross for them. (Read Psalms 139)
Let’s tell of God’s mighty act of raising Jesus from the dead to the generations that come after us.
Fun traditions can be OK, so long as we don’t miss the real meaning of this Christian Holy Day.
Dear Lord, help me to tell of Your wondrous power and mighty acts to those generations that come after me. May I not let the season pass by without pondering, reading the Bible and sharing this Awesome news on the real meaning of Easter. Help me to direct people to Your Word to see and live in light of Your Truth rather than what we perceive to be true through our limited earthly knowledge. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
(Col. 2:2-4 & JN 14:6 & Psalms 119:160 & Hosea 6:4 & 1 JN 1:5-10 & JN 3:16-17)
Read MoreLet go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth”Psalm 46:10.
Every day, you have to decide who’s going to be in control of your life — you or God.
That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control. You want to make your own rules. But stress relief always starts with letting God be God. It always starts with saying, “God, I’m giving up control, because you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”
Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” .
I don’t know what you’re going to face this week. You don’t, either. But I can already tell you what God wants you to do: Let go, and know. Let go of control, and know that God is in control. Let go, and know! This is the first step to serenity in your life.
Whenever we face out-of-control situations, we tend to go to one of two extremes.
- For some of you, the more out-of-control your life gets, the harder you try to control it.
- Some of you do the exact opposite: You just give up! You have a pity party and invite yourself to it.
Both of those reactions to stress are foolish. They don’t work. Instead of being a victim or becoming hyper controlling, you need to pray the prayer of surrender.
The number one reason you’re under stress is because you’re in conflict with God.
You’re trying to control things that only God can control. You can’t control your husband or your kids or your wife, or your parents, or your friends, or your job or your future or your past or any of that stuff. The more you do it, the more you’re trying to play God, and that puts you in opposition to God. Not only are you going to lose that conflict, but you’re also going to be tired.
Millions of people pray the Serenity Prayer, which is based on the Lord’s Prayer, but most have never read the last eight lines to the prayer. read below
That’s where the power is! There is power when you surrender to JESUS the very things you’ve been trying to control.
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that you will make all things right,
If I surrender to your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with you
Forever in the next.
Amen.
— Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
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“The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.”1 Chronicles 13:10
A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God’s Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God.
God’s Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life.” The prophet Hosea tells us, “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” (Hos. 4:6).
God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. “…But they must not touch the holy things or they will die…” (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God.
- Did David know this law or did he simply forget?
- Did Uzzah know this law?
- If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.
Many workplace believers I know take God’s Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.
- Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. “David was afraid of God that day and asked, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’ ” (1 Chron. 13:12)
- We must all have a fearful respect of God’s Word. For truly, it is life or death.
- Do you take God’s Word seriously? Is it life or death for you?
- Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.
- Any lust harboured in the heart, in time will eat out all its strength and vigour. Some have a liking for some secret lust, which takes away their hearts.
Thank you Lord for Your Word!
Read MoreJesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”!
.. the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15b).
Paul describes the role of the church in two dramatic words: the church is the
1. “pillar”
2. The “foundation” of the truth.
The great reason for the existence of the church is to:
*** Introduce Truth back into a world saturated with error and fantasy. WE WILL ALL DIE SOMETIME & THERE IS A HELL-THERE IS A HEAVEN!
The church recovers truth when it is lost. (And boy are we lost).
That is why all Moral Recovery in a nation always begins with the church, with the people of God.
***Their Testimonies of what Jesus has done for them personally!!!(Rev. 12:11).
Any Hope that we in this country will ever recover from this downhill slide into despair lies in the presence of the church(Body of Christ) in our midst.
So the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” The Church is not a denomination-It’s all believers in Jesus Christ.
All believers are the household of God and are crucial pillars in representing the truth of God.
Without the Church:
*There is no conduit for truth
*Without truth, there is no hope.
* God has ordained that through the Church; His Bride, He will reveal Himself to the world.
***Let us not lose sight of this, and let us hold fast to Jesus and His Word (John 17:17).
Hebrews 12: 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
We need God’s anointing in the place called church to help us to conduct ourselves.
Romans 12:5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.(His Church)!
We all need to be part of the fruit-bearing stage. In it, God’s power is manifested in your life like never before.
***God takes ALL our experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life.
*** Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process.
What does God want to achieve through our lives?
*God has a plan that is so incredible we cannot comprehend it.
*It requires only that we love Him and follow Him.
Then we will become fishers of men like the world has never known.
“‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'” Matthew 4:19
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
” May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”
God is Able, and God bless America! AMEN
Read More“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.””Psalm 35:1–3
That was a prayer of David in a time of deep distress, a time when he felt himself surrounded by enemies pressing in against him and he saw no way to keep them out.
So He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord, take Your stand against my enemies. Take up Your mighty spiritual weapons and block the way against them.”
The great conclusive answer to that prayer of David came through David’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, about a thousand years later.
On the cross, Jesus did just that.
- He blocked the way against all the enemies of our soul.
- He stopped the way.
- He put an end to Satan’s claims.
- He set a limit to Satan’s territory.
- He created a boundary that Satan cannot pass over.
Remember this: the cross is God’s great stop sign.
The devil may be moving in against us at full speed, but when we put up the cross, he slams on his brakes and comes to a screeching halt because he cannot pass the cross. That’s where Jesus stopped the way against all our enemies. Now that is victory! SEE 1 JOHN 4:4
Eph. 6:11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
2 Corinthians 10:3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
God will come to my rescue against my enemies. But David also spoke to God about praying for his enemies.
*I will put faith in God regarding the evil powers of this world. I know that HE will protect me and my family.
*I will also pray for my enemies.
Lord thank you for this glorious day of your protection. Thank you for your unfailing love and your mercy never seize. Again thank you and we love you. We bring back all the honor and glory through the beautiful name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Read MoreBe humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (Philippians 2:3b ).
Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different ways, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality.
The problem with pride is it’s self-deceiving. Everybody else can see it in us but us. When you have a problem with pride, you don’t see it in your life.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin”. I love this verse in the Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”
- Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride.
- Humility builds relationships.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble”.
How are you and I going to grow in humility?
It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control our thoughts and hearts and attitudes and reactions. He’s got to be a part of this. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” .
How do you become a new person? How do you start to think in a different way?
The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with.
- If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier.
- If you spend time with people in addictions, you get addicted.
- If you spend time with people that have gratitude, you have gratitude.
- If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.
- If you spend time with selfish people, you become selfish.
- If you spend time with people who do not respect others, you will not respect others.
If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.
“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves … You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3b, 5-6.
No one has done anything more humble than Jesus, coming from Heaven to Earth to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us.
When you spend time with him, it makes you more humble, and that builds your relationships.
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They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. Acts 5:40b-42
The apostles did not stop. They counted themselves fortunate to suffer dishonor for his name. It seems to take Christians so long to face up to the simple declaration of Scripture that, when they were called to be a Christian, they were called to suffer.
As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:29). We are called to this.
Suffering is an integral part of the Christian experience. It is not something that is unusual or reserved for just a few; it is for all. Peter wrote, Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.(1 Peter 4:12). Don’t think it is strange. You go through problems, difficulties, heartaches, disappointments, ostracism and coolness from others, all for the sake of the Name. Don’t think that is strange. It is that to which we are called.
In a world that is run by illusions, governed by deceptions, and is a victim of lies and maliciously evil falsehoods, what else can we expect if we stand for the truth?
- People will think we are strange, at times.
- People will think we react in funny ways. There will be some degree of coolness, even among those who are, in many other ways, friendly toward us.
- They will think we are a little odd. But it is they who are odd; it is we who are normal. When a normal person lives in a world full of oddballs, they think he’s odd. But that is the suffering to which he is called.
Like these disciples, we ought to thank God for it and rejoice in it. Jesus said that, didn’t he? Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name’s sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, … for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you... (Matthew 5:11-12 KJV).
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Join us tonight for communityfestmn.com from 5 to 8 for prayer, healing free food and music!
A stronghold is a fortress of thoughts that controls and influences our attitudes.
Some of the things God brings up from our hidden chambers have been lifelong strongholds of the enemy. They may appear as “giants” when we seek to break free of them, but God is already the Victor! You will see His salvation if you faint not.
“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.'” Exodus 14:13
Remember:*EACH person is given something to do that SHOWS who God is! This gifting God has given each one of us is an OUTLET for the OVERFLOW of GOD’S LOVE in our lives for others.
Coming Out of the Stronghold
“Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah“… – 1 Samuel 22:5
David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life’s down-and-out had come and joined David’s army.
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.
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 prod us into moving in the right direction.
God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of “praise.” Judah means “praise.”
Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise.
*It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems.
The way is open for you to come boldly before the Lord’s throne of grace.
Do not be afraid or hesitate. Come and let Him speak to your heart, for you need wisdom and direction for the days ahead.
Listen for the Lord’s still small voice, and you will hear. “I will guide your steps, and lead you to victory.”
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God help me to put my trust in You today. To trust in my relationship with You and my knowledge of Your love, justice and righteousness. Amen
Read MoreLet us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled’”Lamentations 3:40-42a.
The path to a fresh start and a clear conscience begins with repentance. First, review every area of your life, and then repent of every sin.
What does it mean to repent? It means three things:
- First, you take responsibility for your sin.
- Second, you turn away from those things.
- And third, you turn toward God and his grace.
Repentance does not mean rationalizing your sin. You don’t say, “It was no big deal.” It was a big deal, or you wouldn’t have remembered it. You don’t say, “It happened so long ago” or “It was just a stage I went through” or “Everybody does it.” It doesn’t matter! You cannot rationalize sin, minimize it, excuse it, or blame others. That is not true repentance.
Pay attention to this: The greatest holdup to the healing of your hang-up is you.
You’re not waiting on God; you’re not waiting on anybody else. God wants to heal the hang-up in your life, but the greatest holdup to your hang-up is you.
The Bible says in 1 John 1:8, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”(NIV).
Would you like to get rid of the self-defeating habits in your life?
- You will stop defeating yourself when you stop deceiving yourself.
- It all starts with gut-level honesty and recognizing that something is wrong, no matter how much you want to rationalize it and excuse it.
- You need to admit it, confess it, and get it out of your life.
E’s of Decision Making”…Glorifying God in the Gray Areas…(got this from a Bible Study friend, not sure of author)
Edification…Will this activity produce a spiritual benefit?
Enslavement…Will this activity lead to spiritual bondage?
Exposure…Will this activity expose my mind or body to defilement?
Esteem…Will this benefit others, or cause them to stumble?
Evangelism…Will this activity further the cause of the Gospel?
Ethics…Will this activity violate my conscious?
Exaltation…Will this activity bring glory to God?
Armed with these basic principles every believer can navigate the gray areas with integrity. Amen
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Luke 23:18 “And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:”
What happened to Barabbas is a picture of what happens when a person is born again. Barabbas was guilty; Jesus was innocent. Yet Jesus suffered the death that Barabbas should have experienced, and Barabbas went free.
Likewise, we were all guilty (Rom. 3:23) and condemned to death (Rom. 6:23), yet Jesus suffered our punishment so that we may go free (2 Cor. 5:21). Just as Barabbas didn’t ask for this substitution, so “God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
Barabbas was freed, but he had to choose whether or not to accept this new start and remain free, or go back to his old ways and come under the judgment of Rome again.
Likewise, we have all been freed through the substitutionary death of Jesus, but we have to choose whether to accept our freedom by putting faith in Jesus or to reject it, by denying Him.
Our death to sin and resurrection to life with Christ, is already a reality in our spirits but will only become a physical reality when we know and believe it.
In the same way that Jesus died unto sin once, and death no longer has dominion over Him, the person who recognizes their death with Christ unto sin, will not allow sin to rule over him anymore. Any Christian who is struggling with sin has not recognized that they are dead unto sin.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Rom 1:19-20).
You can be a believer yet act as though there is no God.
*Whenever you fret over life circumstances, you immediately demonstrate unbelief.
*Whenever you move out of fear or anxiety, you believe a lie about God’s nature.
Each day your actions affirm or convict you of your belief system.
*It reveals who the central focus of your life really is – you or God.
*It reveals who you place your ultimate trust in – you or God.
It is one of the great paradoxes for believers. One day we can believe Him to move mountains. The next day we can question His very existence.
We’ve lost our passionate embrace of the magnificent. Our appreciation for noticing God and His provision had been strangled by what the world begs us to pay attention to.
But I’m not interested in what the world classifies as important.
I’m interested in where God wants to point my focus. I’m interested in humbling myself in childlike awe of all that He is.
How might we remember to embrace the magnificent on this ordinary day?
Dear Lord, I praise You today for Your magnificence in all things. Humble me as Your child and guide me as I follow hard after You instead of the world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read More“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23 ).
Change requires new thinking. In order to change, we must learn the truth and start making good choices, but we also must change the way we think.
The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act.
If you want to change the way you act, you start by changing the way you think. In addition, if you want to change the way you feel, you must start with the way you think.
For instance, you can say, “I need to love my husband more,” but that isn’t going to work. You can’t fight your way into a feeling. You must change the way you think about your husband, about your kids, about your wife. That will change the way you feel, which will then change the way you act. The Bible says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23).
The battle for sin, the battle to deal with those defects in your life that you don’t like, starts in your mind. If you want to change anything in your behavior or anything in your emotions, you start with your thoughts and your attitude.
The renewal of your mind is related to the word “repentance.” I know repentance is a dirty word for a lot of people. They think it means something bad, something they don’t really want to do, something painful. They think of a guy standing on a street corner with a sign that says, “Repent! The world’s about to end!”
Repentance is about more than changing your behavior. It is about changing your mind and learning to think differently. “Repent” simply means to make a mental U-turn.
- You turn from guilt to forgiveness.
- You turn from frustration to freedom, from darkness to light, from hatred and bitterness to love.
You may also need to change the way you think about God. He’s not mad at you; he’s mad about you! You’re deeply flawed, but you’re deeply loved.
Start with your mind, and change the way you think about your relationships, the economy, the world, and your past, present, and future.
Changing the way you think will then affect your emotions and your behavior.
Read Romans 12:1-3. Amen
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