We can't control many aspects of our lives (and satan knows it). The enemy will use everything, and everyone, around us to get is off track and steer us from God's light (if even for a day).
Don't fall for it. Many times the devil will manipulate the people closest to us in order get a "rise" out of us, so then we'll spend the rest of the day in anger or worry. When you're feeling under attack, recognize it for what it is. What should we do? Stop worrying over those you have no control over and spend some time in the Good Book, as it's said, "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." (Proverbs 12:25) Also, turn those persistent worries over to God, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7) And then pray, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." (Philippians 4:6) By doing these things, we are calling on the power of God to aid in our fight against satan and his schemes. When we first seek the kingdom of God, all else will be given to us (Matthew 6:33) So, don't keep God on the bench in your fights with the enemy. "Always be joyful. Never stop praying and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
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Most often, we have a habit of only calling to God in prayer when we "need" something from Him. Whether it's a sick loved one, a marriage in trouble, or a job loss, one of the first things we'll think of is to ask for prayers. And that's great! God welcomes any time we spend with Him, especially when we acknowledge we need His help.
But, what happens when the prayer goes unanswered for months (or even years) on end? Or worse, what happens if the prayer is answered in a way we don't desire? I think it's important to think about these things "before" we offer a prayer request. We need to remember that God works in our lives for the long term including, and most importantly, our very salvation! If an answer to a prayer comes back less than satisfactory to us, trust that God has a reason for it. I'm not saying it may not be painful in the short run, but understand there's a greater purpose at play. God gives us what we "need" at certain points in our lives (2 Thessalonians 1:2), which often times can be much different than what we want. You have no idea what God may have planned for you when a prayer comes back contrary to what you had originally hoped for. Trust Him. Keep your faith. Continue to pray earnestly for His guidance on this "new" path He has set you on. God is not (nor ever was) out to harm you, but instead wants to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). And, considering He already knows your future, why would you want any other answer than the one "He" provides? "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Romans 7:24-25)
The Apostle Paul recognized that no matter what he did, he could not avoid sin, thus was in constant need of God's grace. So are our lives. True, we can try to stay away from situations that are liable to cause us to sin, but at the end of the day, we "will" fall short in our thoughts, words or deeds. Therein lies our need to be covered by the grace that only Jesus can provide. Have you accepted His offer of grace yet? A grace that can't be earned, but is given freely to those who believe in Him. "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth." (1 John 1:8) and "If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:10). Bottom line is no one is perfect. "Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins." (Ecclesiastes 7:20) God knew this and was the "exact" reason He sent His son to save us once and for all. Please don't pass up what is freely offered to you. Repent for your sins, surrender to Christ, and allow God to help you navigate your life from this day forward. "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10) Don't be surprised when God, not only answers your prayers, but then goes above and beyond what you had been hoping for. We are not always faithful, but God ALWAYS is.
Place the glory where it belongs and let everyone know what the Lord has done! "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20) Proverbs 31 Ministries:
Without fail, when I turn from distractions, God always shows me moments he handcrafted for me. They’re waiting for me. I just need to step into them. Dear God, teach me to be where my feet are. It’s easy to be stuck in the past or worried about the future but I know You call me to this moment, this hour, this day. Thank You for the tiny details throughout this day I know You’ve stitched for me. - Hannah Brencher My thoughts: I thought this was very well stated. When we are walking in God's light, and not distracted by the world, we can see Him working in our lives. It may be something "big" like a marriage, a health issue or a job, but don't ignore the "smaller" workings either, like a coincidence, a chance encounter, or even noticing certain times when you are looking at a clock. God is in EVERYTHING, so make sure you are "looking". On this day when we honor the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country and our freedom, let's also remember the one who sacrificed Himself for our ENTIRE fallen world (now and forevermore). How are you honoring that sacrifice?
From Matt McMillian Ministries: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 In the Old Testament there was a prophet named Isaiah. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah foretold about a man who would take the sin of the world into His body–it was Jesus. The punishment for every single sin a person ever commits is death–from gossip to murder (Romans 6:23). This prophet was Jewish, so he knew that without the shedding of blood, you could never be forgiven (see Hebrews 9:22). The words “ask for forgiveness” are not in Bible. This is because a death must happen to be forgiven. Confession doesn’t forgive either, only a one-time confession that we need the forgiveness of Christ (see 1 John 1:9). As a Jew, Isaiah was used to getting his own forgiveness at the Day of Atonement. This was a single day of the year in which the Jews received forgiveness for their sins for the pastyear–all of them. After they came out of the temple, they had relief. They were good to go for another 365 days. The forgiveness was received only when their sins were transferred into the body of animals by way of a levitical priest (see Numbers 18:1, Hebrews 6:2). To be clear, this animal couldn’t be their 10-year-old heifer who was on her last leg, oh no. It had to be their best animal–a spotless and healthy creature (see Leviticus 27:10, 1 Peter 1:9). However, “it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). The key words focus on in that verse is, take away. The animal blood was simply a reminder of how poorly a person performed over the course of the previous 365 days (see Hebrews 10:3). It was a shadow of what Jesus would do through His own perfect body! (See Hebrews 10:1, Colossians 2:17). But even better, Christ would take away our sin once and for all time with one last sacrifice! (See John 1:29, Hebrews 7:25, 8:12, 10:10). Afterwards, the Day of Atonement would no longer be needed because the world would finally have the real thing! Think about it, if my wife is pregnant and that’s all I can talk about, then my child is born, but rather than go to the hospital to receive my new child, I stay home and stare at ultrasound pictures. This is what happened to the Jews who kept attending the Day of Atonement after the events of Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection! (See Hebrews 10:26). Isaiah didn’t know His name, but the Holy Spirit revealed exactly what Christ would do. In Isaiah 53, he goes into great detail about what would take place in the life of this Messiah. He penned, “He’ll grow up like a tender shoot,” and that very thing happened! Baby Jesus grew into boy Jesus, and then boy Jesus grew into the man. Christmas Day celebrates the beginning of this tender shoot’s life. Isaiah continued, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Could there be a more accurate description of how simple Jesus’ life was? The very name Jesusis as common as the name Joe. Verse three reads, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.” The foretelling of what would happen in Jesus’ 33 years, through Isaiah, is uncanny. God even revealed to him how his own people would treat dear Jesus. “We held him in low esteem.” But that’s not all he had to say about those who refused to believe: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4) Surely He took their pain and suffering! Surely. Yes, even the Jews who were trying to kill Him, and finally did. One of the Jewish leaders, Nicodemus, was so intrigued by Jesus, he snuck off at night to meet with Him (see John 3). But even so, the colleagues of Nicodemus had Him cut up and ground into a bloody pulp. Isaiah 53:4 reveals that they honestly believed Jesus deserved to be crucified–that God was backing them up…they were wrong. “He was pierced for our transgressions!” Isaiah announces in verse 5. But what is a transgression?…It’s sin. He was pierced and killed for our sin. All of the stuff which cannot enter into heaven, He removed by way of a bloody death! He changed up our deal with God! (See Hebrews 8:6,13). A new Priest has come! The Levites are out! They’ve been replaced by a Priest who will never die! (Hebrews 7:25). He hails from the Tribe of Judah–a priest has never come from that group of Israelites! But it doesn’t matter because a new covenant was put in place bythe Messiaaaaaaah! He brings good tidings of salvation by way of grace through simple faith! BELIEVE!!!! YES! IT’S THAT GOOD! YES! IT’S THAT EASY! (See Hebrews 4:14-16, Ephesians 2:8,9, John 1:12). It’s so easy it’s impossible for many. “Nope, we gotta do our part,” they’ll say. They’ll go right back to Judaism. They’ll go right back to the temple. Friend, Jesus did your part. Just open up your hands and say, “Thank you.” “Yeah right, Matt! He died for us so we gotta get to work and die for Him!” Friend, no…just relax and be yourself (see Hebrews 4:11, Galatians 5:22,23). Sure, your mind is being renewed by way of Christ’s Spirit–but you are complete! (See Romans 12:2, 2 Peter 1:3). All of the dying stuff is over. You symbolically followed Jesus to the Cross and you were supernaturally crucified, by faith. So just…live. Be you. He likes you. That word pierced, in Isaiah 53:5, is literal and accurate. Piercing was the job of a long, sharp, nasty nail. Other versions of the Bible read, “Crushed!” “Whipped!” “Bruised!” “Chastened!” One interpretation even claims Jesus was scourged. If you’ve seen The Passion of the Christ, you’ve seen a scourging. As Jesus was tied up to a post, the Romans used a whip with metal shards on the end of each chord. WHEN THEY SLAMMED THE WHIP AGAINST HIS BACK, THOSE COARSE BITS OF METAL DUG DEEP INTO HIS SKIN AND LATCHED ON! Then they ferociouslyripped it away! Fragments and chunks of the Son of God spread all around them! THEY DID IT AGAIN! AND AGAIN! Fleshy portions of the Messiah fell into the crevices on the ground! His perfect blood–never tainted by sin–poured out of the holes in His back…saturating everything. Blood splattered in the faces of the guards! Screamsfrom the crowd bellowed as people watched in horror! …And Christ went limp… “GET UP! GET, UP–YOU STINKING FILTHY JEW! WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?!” Blow after blow after blow… “STOP! PLEASE! STOOOOOOP IT!” Loved ones wailed for mercy! But they didn’t stop…they showed no mercy…they kept going. Our sin was being dealt with at that moment. Our sin was being paid for in full. Our sin was being taken away by Jesus through one final death. Afterwards, He sat down in heaven, never to have to die again: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) This is how we stay saved as Christians, it’s because Jesus died once for all sin. He is not dying again and again, up in heaven, after each stupid transgression we act on (see Hebrews 7:25). Now, I say this with all due respect. But there are some people who are part of a “name-it-claim-it group.” With vigor and enthusiasm–and even innocently–they’ll shout, “By His stripes, I claim this job!” “By His stripes, I claimthis new car!” “By His stripes, I claim this healing!” Friends, claiming anything by His stripes is not the gospel. We cannot boss God around and then use the name of Jesus to do so. How about we just ask Dad, and trust Him? Romans 8:15 says we now have the right to call God, “Abba,” which means, “Daddy.” So what do you say we go from claiming stuff, to simply being content in all things while asking our loving Father for what we want? He already knows before we even ask (see Matthew 6:8), He just craves for us to talk to Him. Dad longs for us to trust Him through prayer, and by being our true selves, His kids. He wants us to know, “I’m with you, always.” He doesn’t want you frustrated by claiming things over and over. He wants you at peace. God is not against us having stuff, getting that job, or mending your broken relationship. He’s not against you breaking that addiction, and He’s not against miraculous healings. He is God and He can do anything He wants, whenever He wants–and He’s always right. Thankfully, He loves us no matter what He decides about our requests! But this verse, which was meant to explain what Jesus would do to our spirits has been misused for far too long. Can we please get back to the truth? Sure, Jesus can heal anyone at any time, and we should ask (see James 4:2, Philippians 4:6). But Isaiah 53:5 is not referring to our physical bodies, but instead, our infected spirits–our sinful spirits. This verse is addressing our broken, damaged, spiritual selves. The one we were born with. Most people think we become sinners after our first act of sin, but that is not true. We areborn sinners, because of Adam (see Romans 5:12). Humanity’s original ancestor was created like God–perfect. But he chose to act on the power of sin which was presented to him by Satan. As a result, sin was infused with Adam’s supernatural DNA–his spirit–and so was all of his would-be descendants, us. The good news is, even though that one man caused us to be born sinful–Adam–by one other man–Jesus–He caused us to become non-sinful in spirit! He caused us to be perfect just like Him in our eternal bodies! (See Romans 5:19). Therefore, it was by His stripes our spirits are healed! It was by His stripes we have the opportunity to go from having a disgusting, puss-filled, maggot-infected, sinful, dead, carcass of a spirit–HELL BOUND–to instantly being healed! To instantly being perfect and heaven-ready! Why? Because we are joined with Him inspirit! God is not looking for dead spirits to improve their behavior or go to church! He wants us to be remade, in full, once. This happens when we believe that Jesus saved us. To take this one notch higher, if you believe in Jesus as your Savior, you haven’t simply been healed. You’ve been supernaturally killed off and reborn as a saint! You are a spirit! Your spirit will go on into eternity, with or without God. Your flesh will die but your spirit will not. Isaiah thought our spirits just needed to be healed, but they needed to be born again! (See John 3:7). We had to be born of water–the sac we came into this world through Momma–and we had to be reborn of spirit! In John 3:5, Jesus is not telling Nicodemus about being dunked into H2O, but an embryonic pouch andGod’s own Spirit! Only the Holy Spirit joining our spirits can cause this rebirth, and it happens the first moment we believe even if we didn’t feel anything. Your salvation is not a feeling, but a fact. Paul explains this to the Romans: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:6,7) Do you see it? We’ve not simply been healed from sin–we’ve died to sin! Our spirits no longer contain it! By faith, we’ve died, we were buried, and then we were resurrected withJesus already in our physical bodies and spirits! With Christ in us, we don’t even want to sin–it’s like touching a hot stove–it makes no sense when we do so. But as flawed humans on a fallen planet, and with the powerof sin and demonic temptations still floating around–WITH PEOPLE EVERYWHERE–yes, we touch that stove sometimes. But our Father will not disown us (see 2 Timothy 2:13). He doesn’t even convict us any longer. Jesus was already convicted and the punishment was death. So now, God’s Spirit is loving us through our sinful choices with never ending grace (see Romans 5:20, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Galatians 5:22,23). He counsels us and patiently guides us away from danger. We still get to choose what to do! We get to decide if we will walk by our true selves or fake it! Either way, behavior cannot change your identity. Attitudes cannot change your identity. Friend, saint, this is something we all have to deal with and it’s not easy…but very possible. We are new creations in Christ! Through His body we are now at peace with God! We are completely reconciled with our Creator! Holy! Blameless! Spiritually set apart! We are already sitting in heaven with Jesus at this moment–He is not bound by time–we are! Yet, we are still righteous today! We are children of God! That is what we are! (See Philippians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 5:17,21, Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:22, 2 Peter 3:8, Ephesians 1:4, 2:6, John 1:12, 1 John 3:1). A prayer for you: Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for sending Him here so that I can be a part of you and Him for good. If Isaiah could have only known how accurate he was as he wrote, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter”–it would have shocked him! I know your Spirit guided his human hand on that scroll the very day he penned this passage. As I read it today, thousands of years later, I’m very grateful! Right now, I lift up all who are reading this, directly to you. God, reveal to these dear readers that the very same Spirit who was WITH Isaiah is now IN them. The event he wrote about–Jesus taking away our sin–CAUSED US to be able to have your Spirit infused with OUR spirit, permanently! You’re not just WITH us, but IN us! We have something so much better on this side of the Cross! Because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, you are committed to us forever! That is, if we believe, once. Thank you for your promise to Jesus, and His to you. Amen. From Matt McMillian Ministries. Our command is to concern ourselves with today and let God handle our "tomorrows". It's not that we should neglect our responsibilities of the future, but that we should be casting our worries and concerns onto the Lord. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Don't let what you can't control at the moment rob you of the joy of today. We are but a mist, and not one of us is promised a tomorrow, so let's seek first the kingdom of God and let Him provide our needs from there (James 4:14 and Matthew 6:33). I believe our marriages are very important, not only to us, but also to our Heavenly Father. That said, there is absolutely nothing that should take top billing away from your relationship with Jesus. Make sure God is THE priority in your marriage, as all else will take care if itself. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
Too often I see broken spouses who are saying they can't go on without their significant other. What does that say about their relationship with Jesus, who gave Himself so they "could" go on? If you find yourself saying (or even thinking) that, remember the sacrifice Christ made for you. Remember, this life is not eternal, and your ultimate inheritance is in heaven. "Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 73:25-26) "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)
Quite simply, you were created for God's purpose and pleasure. God created you to have a relationship with Him (whether you acknowledge it or not). God has plans for you, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) Are you listening to God? Have you even asked Him what His plans are for you? God would tell you, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21) So, we can run about trying to plan our lives by ourselves, while hoping to find a purpose in it all, OR, we can look to the One who already knows it ALL! Trust God. Pray for His guidance in all that you do. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28) God has a plan for your life here on earth. Choose to accept Christ into that life, so that God may guide your path from this day forward, and give you a purpose. What purpose? "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Now "that's" the kind of purpose worth living for. Amen. Mom's are frequently good examples of how we should live our lives here on Earth (I know mine certainly is). Unselfishly, humbly, and with love in all things.
This is the last verse in Proverbs. The book begins with the command that the Lord should be feared and ends with the picture of a woman who fulfills this command. Her qualities are mentioned throughout the book: hard working, has a fear of God, a respect for spouse, foresight, provides encouragement and cares and has concerns for all those around her. All of which show us how to become wise, make good decisions, and live a life according to God's ideal. Thank you mom. I love you and am truly blessed that God chose you to be my mother. I think sometimes we believe we aren't allowed to "vent" our frustrations to God. Personally, I think God is ok with us doing just that. Look at what David said, a favorite child of God, who at times felt God had abandoned him. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relieve. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:1-3)
At ALL times we need to fear and be respectful of our God, but He knows our hearts and minds so why not share what you're feeling with Him? He knows our worries and frustrations without us saying a word. Cry out to God (as David did) if you reach a point of maximim difficulty. Pray for His hand to strengthen you and guide you through the storm you're facing. God is faithful. God loves you. God will never, ever leave you. "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) You say, "Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!" (Psalm 102:1)
God says, "do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) God is ALWAYS there to strengthen you, but I do think faith getting "shaken" at times is only human. After all, you aren't, nor will you ever be, God! I believe we need to allow ourselves some grace during these most difficult storms and use the opportunity to seek God even more fervently. If your faith is never shaken, then how can it grow? A "`shaken" faith is liable to happen on occasion, BUT you will survive it. "Losing" your faith, on the other hand, you can NEVER allow to happen, because that you can not survive. Remember, God is with you, always, and that whatever it is you're going through right now "will" pass. "the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3) "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Why would love be the greatest of these you may ask? I believe it is because faith and hope depend on love to exist. Without love, how can you have true faith? Paul says, "If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2) And, how can you hope for something that you do not truly love? Wouldn't make any sense. Lastly, I believe love is the greatest of these simply because "God is love." (1 John 4:8) and there is no one greater than He! So, with this knowledge, how should we live? We should "live" a life of love, in all things we do (big and small). We should love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19)! What kind of love should we love with? The most selfless kind. As Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34) In fact, love is in both of the greatest commandments that Jesus taught. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22: 37-39) I'd say Jesus is pretty clear on this subject. How do you treat your neighbor? How do you treat your spouse? How do you treat "God"? Commit to no more arguing, no more bickering, no more selfishness, but rather, let your life be about the "love" that Jesus taught from this day forward. No excuses, because remember how much God has loved "YOU": "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) "I know, what I know, what I know", I recently heard from a testimony given by Al Linder (formally of In Fisherman magazine/TV). That phrase rang true to me in that, we "know" what we know, but then I thought about how much we are constantly concerning ourselves with what we "don't" know!
We spend SOOO much time and energy trying to figure out what's NOT going right in our lives (in "our" own eyes anyhow) that we lose focus on what we do know. And what is it that we DO know? How about the love and faithfulness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for one! In every situation we should be seeking to understand what God may be trying to change in us or what he wants us to learn in it and from it. He knows our future path, so rather than lament and complain "why" our current path isn't what we had hoped for, we should instead be drawing ourselves closer to Him each day. Keep praying for discernment and allow God to slowly begin to reveal Himself the closer you get to Him. DON'T do this with the expectation that your situation WILL work out the way that "you" want it to, but rather that His will will be done. Believe me, you WIN no matter how it all works out by choosing this exercise in faith. God is faithful to those who trust Him. Trust His will. Trust His love for you and that He is not out to harm you, but rather to give you hope and a future (even if it's one you never saw coming). "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6) I may not have done a lot of REALLY crazy things in the past, but with my eyes having been open, I sure was a "wretched soul" (as the apostle Paul would say).
Therein lies God's mericiful and abundant grace. The good news is that, in spite of me trying to steer clear of these past sins, I "will" sin again (it's IMPOSSIBLE for me, and you, not to), but now God's grace will fall upon me with every repentant prayer I offer Him. That DOESN'T mean I run around purposely sinning, but now I know that God's grace WILL be sufficient when I do (2 Corinthians 12:9). How about you? When you're tired of living in the past and struggling to understand each day, it means that you are ready for a NEW LIFE in Christ! He's just waiting for you to ask. And guess what, He's been with you all along, so all you need to do is finally acknowledge it and cry out for His forgiveness. "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10: 9-10) Excerpt from Crosswalk.com:
Compared with having your name written down in heaven... everything else is next to nothing. In what do you take deepest delight? What is it that brings the greatest and most intense joy and happiness to your heart? I’m sure that many of us would point to our families, perhaps our children. Others might say that their greatest source of joy is their good health and good friends and a robust bank account. Of course, if Christians give much thought to the question they would eventually say, “My greatest source of joy is in knowing Jesus and being assured that I will spend an eternity in intimate fellowship with him.” Amen I say, and again I say, "AMEN"! ♥🕆♥ We should be honoring God in all life's circumstances, not just when we need something from Him. God is not a genie that we only go to with "wishes" and then expect them to be granted at the "snap" of a prayer. God wants a relationship with us, and like any relationship, they'll be good times and times where it feels like the wheels are coming off.
A relationship should be one of love, joy and support. Sounds like a good recipe for our relationship with Christ, because He'll never need our support, but yet He will provide it to us freely. He loved us so much that He died for the forgiveness of our sins, yet only asks that we believe in His sacrifice and invite Him into our hearts. And joy, well, let's just say that when you repent for your sins, there IS joy in the heavens, "in the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10. So remember, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be joyful in your salvation made possible through your relationship with Jesus! Love Him at all times and in all situations (no matter how difficult), because He will always support you and will never abandon you. For it is known, that in this life you will have troubles, but take heart, as He has overcome the world! Communication is "essential" in a healthy relationship. Sadly, when communication breaks down it leads to frustration, anger and then eventually "silence". We think, why even speak at all if they aren't even going to listen to me, we feel like we are being told we are wrong (even if we think we are right), or there's just no intimacy in our conversations (ie., we are just going through the motions)? Better to just be quiet and say nothing, right? WRONG!
By going "silent", you are allowing satan to get what he's been after all along. No communication. How can a relationship function without it? It can't. When all there is IS silence, the parties in the relationship fall further and further away, until one day, they don't know eachother any longer. I bet you think I am talking about a marital relationship. Well, while I would say that ALL of this is true in a marriage, it is even MORE important in your relationship with Christ. Sometimes when we pray we may feel like we aren't being listened to, feel like we aren't getting what we want (so feel "wronged"), or we are just saying the exact same words each and every night (like a doll who's string has been pulled). It's at times like these that we are tempted to just withdraw from God and become "silent". I recommend the COMPLETE opposite of that. PRAY more fervently than ever (not just for what you'd like to see happen, but praise Him for all the ways you HAVE been blessed). POUR yourself into scripture, song, and interactions with other Christians (church, small groups, breakfasts/lunches). And finally, PUT your faith in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that He knows what He's doing (even though you can't see it right now). End your silence if you've become quiet. God is ALWAYS with you, is ALWAYS listening to you, and will NEVER abandon you. So, "trust" in His current answer, "seek" His continued guidance, and "know" that His timing will be perfect in the end. When we are in the midst of despair, worry and anger, it really is hard to see how any good is going to come from it. But just as a lump of coal can become a beautiful diamond through great pressure being put on it, so can God use the current "pressure" being put on you to change your life into something more wonderful than you could have ever dreamed of. Don't lose hope. Keep, or "find", your faith. God is with you at all times and is faithful to those who seek Him.
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) One of my favorite sayings has always been, "if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
At some point in your life you'll find yourself with no idea of what's going on, where you are going, or how you'll even make it to the next day. It's at these times we can either 1. Start heading down various roads searching for a solution, but not even knowing where our final destination will be or 2. We turn over the navigation to someone who ALREADY KNOWS where we are supposed to end up. I highly recommend option "2" as I've tried both! That said, just because you put your faith in God doesn't always mean you get "answers" and "solutions" to our life struggles at the snap of a prayer. I don't know how and where many things in my life are going to go, but I "do" know who's guiding my path now and I know "He" knows what He's doing. ♥🕆♥ I think we see this far too often in the world. People who say they are Christian, but then their actions would seem to indicate otherwise. Look, nobody is perfect. There may be times when a car cuts us off, a co-worker or spouse lashes out at us in anger, or we are hearing about a Hawaiin trip a buddy of ours is taking. Without thinking we "lash" back out at the co-worker or spouse, we let fly a choice word or two for the driver that cut us off, and we can't help but turn green with envy as "we've" never been to Hawaii. We're human. Sometimes we'll react emotionally, but therein lies God's forgiveness when we ask for it.
The larger problem is when these "reactions" aren't reactions at all, but in fact are standard operating procedures for you. You often go into fits of road rage when somebody is driving too slow or is taking a little too much time to get going after the light turns green. You often get into heated arguments with friends and strangers about politics or a divisive social issue. You often gossip, are jealous of, and even put down colleagues or friends in front of others. And your vocabulary (whether spoken or on social media)? Well, let's just say it would make a rapper blush. It's one thing to say you "know" Jesus, but it's another thing to make sure you're LIVING like you know Him as well. In all circumstances in your lives we need to ask what would Jesus do? How would Jesus respond in this situation? Would Jesus use these kinds of words I'm about to use whether in anger or even in fun? Would Jesus seek out a flirtatious relationship with someone who is not your spouse? Would Jesus get into a drunken stuper because "I'll just have one more"? Believers, and especially "non" believers, are watching your every move. You are a son or daughter of God. The Holy Spirit is living in you and knows your every action AND thought, so remember that when a difficult or tempting situatuon comes along. If you say you know God, then live a life where your actions and words are a "magnet", not a repellant, to ALL those around you, so you can then share about the goodness of our Lord and the story of salvation that can only come through a relationship with Jesus Christ. "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." (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan and his demons are always looking for ways to either keep us in darkness or turn us from the Light. Never underestimate their "craftiness". As our life progresses, we'll begin to understand the tools of their trade better, and be able to fend off many of their attacks early on. Whether it's money, lust, addiction, etc., we'll generally recognize the temptation being put in front of us, and be able to "flee" from it (if we know what's good for us). But unfortunately, it's not ALWAYS that easy. When the enemy knows you're too strong a Christian to be swayed by those more "ordinary tools", he'll look for other ways to attack you. The devil knows your "sore spots". He knows your past. He knows all about your wounds (perhaps some fresh yet), your grudges, grievences and horrible mistakes. He'll create very elaborate and very specific situations to "pick, pick, pick" away at those sores. He'll even enlist the help of your friends, family members and spouses (willing participants or not)! Once this type of plan is put into motion, it can be very difficult to detect. Many times you won't sense it until you're smack dab in the middle of it, because your emotions are running sky high! When you "feel" yourself being drawn into a situation that could cause conflict, or result in a sin being committed, try to hit the breaks if you still can. Think about how Jesus would handle it from there. Are you responding in love (best you can) or with anger, vengence and any other emotion that's all stoked up now? Remember your sore spots and think, "is this what satan is up to, picking at a sore spot that hasn't healed or I haven't let go of yet"? The stronger you become as a Christian, the more diabolical the enemy must become to get you to stumble. The good news (pun intended) is that no matter what "scheme" the devil comes up with, we too have tools at our disposal. I personally begin with prayer. Not only for God's guidance in the situation, but also for discernment if He wants me to learn something from this. Next, I'll go to the Bible and begin reading right where I've left off (as it's amazing how often it speaks to what's going on). Lastly, I'll seek out various devotions for that day, and maybe even listen to a recent online message I haven't gotten around to yet. These are all very powerful weapons in your battle against the snake (and don't be shy about using them ALL when the time comes)! Sometimes, a solution will become apparent right away. Sometimes, you'll have have to look back and study what developed, how it all went down, and how YOU personally responded. In the end, you may say, "ok Lord, I understand what you needed me to LEARN from this. Thank you!" And then sometimes, even after unleashing our full arsenal at the enemy, the situation refuses to resolve itself. It's at these times that we need to reach out to other Christians for their support, prayers and thoughts about what's going on. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) There is no shame in seeking others input and help, as NOBODY is immune from satan's attacks. "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Don't try to fight these battles all on your own (especially when the enemy refuses to relent). Ask for God's guidance and then call on your brothers and sisters in Christ for support. And lastly, no matter how ferocious the attack may become, never forget that "if God is for us, who can possibly stand against us." p.s. *spoiler alert* No matter what satan does or tries to do to us "now", ultimately he loses BIG TIME in the end! Read the middle of this card and then take a few minutes to think about what that means for your life.
Next, look up the Bible verses in this order: upper left (Matthew 6:33), upper right (Jeremiah 29:13) and then lower left (John 3:16). Stop here. Feel free to write them down as you go along. Again, take a few minutes to think about what all these verses mean for (and in) your life. Do you see a progression from the first to the last verse? Do you think that these verses have affected your life yet? If not (or you aren't sure), then look up the last verse on the card (Romans 10:9-10). No matter where you are in your journey of faith, I pray that you end up right there. Pray it "and" believe it! No matter what you've done so far in life, or what the world has in store for you moving foward, this is the ONE verse that will make all the difference in your life now "and' forever! Start, or keep, seeking a relationship with Jesus. He's the one who will never leave you, will always love you, and is in fact, pursuing "you"! Stop running, invite Him into your life and believe in the salvation that only He can provide. One last verse (and I won't make you look this one up), Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 Amen. Suffering and Sanctification:
When struggles seem overwhelming, we need to remind ourselves that these struggles serve a purpose in making us stronger, wiser, and in the perfect image that God has intended for each and everyone of His children. THE TEACUP STORY There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Let me alone', but he only smiled, 'No, Not yet.' "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it ! I'm getting dizzy!!! I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'No, Not yet.' Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat! I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'No, Not yet.' Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better', I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible! I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'No, Not yet.' Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged! I pleaded! I screamed! I cried! All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'No, Not yet.' Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and I couldn't believe it was me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!' 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you would have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you. Author Unknown ALL of us have done things in our lives we are not proud of. Maybe we continue to do much of that "stuff" and then go to bed each night (or wake up in the morning) discouraged and depressed. How can anyone possibly love us? Maybe some people in our lives say they no longer love us. Maybe we don't even love oursleves any longer.
How do we recover from ALL this? Well, the first thing to remember is you are NOT alone. You are "truly" never alone. I'm not saying there won't be times when it'll feel like that, but you aren't. Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The bottom line is God loves you. God will never foresake you nor leave you. "Other" people in your life may decide they don't love you any longer, and perhaps even leave you (in spite of your efforts), but God will NEVER be one of those people. There is nothing you have ever done in your past to "change" God's mind for His love for you. There is nothing you are CURRENTLY doing to change God's mind for His love for you. Make God THE priority in your life, starting "today", if you haven't yet. You can try to do everything else under the sun to "improve" yourself or "fix" what is broken, BUT if you haven't made God your priority in your life, all these other "fixes" will inevitably fail. "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33 |
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