Thursday, June 12, 2014

GET UP:

GET UP: When Jesus saw him lying there...he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” Jn5:6 wp.me/p29yfQ-3H #Jesus#healer #faith

–Theresa

FREE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH – Dr. Neil Anderson

FREE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH – Dr. Neil Anderson

1 Corinthians 15:55 
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

Most phobias can be reduced to a fear of man or death. Death looms over many as the ultimate fear-object. The fact that death is imminent is clearly established in Scripture: "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

But Christians need not fear death. Jesus removed death as a legitimate fear-object by taking away its power when He died for our sins. Jesus Himself said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25, 26). Even though we will eventually die physically, we will continue to live spiritually.

Every child of God is spiritually alive, and even physical death cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). Paul says, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Why? When we physically die, we will receive a resurrected body and be far better off than we are today. Try putting something else into Paul's formula; for instance, "For me to live is success." Then to die would be what? Loss! "For me to live is a good physical body." Again, to die would be loss.

I often ask people, "What is the worst thing that could happen to you?" "Well, I could die," they answer. To which I respond, "Then you have nothing to fear, since the Bible says death may be the best thing that could happen to you!" The ultimate value is not physical life but spiritual life. If our life is hidden in Christ, then we won't suffer loss when we physically die. We can only gain. We can say confidently with Paul, "O death where is your sting?" The person who is free from the fear of death is free to live today.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You have freed me to live fully in the here and now. I leave the time of my departure in Your hands

–Sid

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

REMIND YOURSELF:

 
REMIND YOURSELF: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?...Hope thou in God....” Ps42:5 wp.me/p29yfQ-3F #hopeintheLord#alwayspresent

–Theresa

DOING GOD'S WORK – Dr. Neil Anderson

DOING GOD'S WORK – Dr. Neil Anderson

Isaiah 58:11 
The LORD will continually guide you  

An important concept of God's will is that God can only guide a moving ship. He is the rudder, but if the ship isn't under way, it can't be directed. Willingness to obey His will gets the ship moving.

In Acts 15:36, Paul had decided to revisit the churches he helped establish on his first missionary trip. The churches were being strengthened and increasing in number (Acts 16:5). Luke reports:

And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:6-9).

Sometimes God's leading does not make sense. If God wanted Paul to go to Macedonia in the first place, why didn't He make it easier and faster by having Paul travel by land to Caesarea and sail to Macedonia? Because God starts us out on a life course to fulfill a certain purpose and then, only when we are ready, He gives us course corrections. Like a good river pilot, He steers us away from troubled waters, and like a good coach, He never puts us in the game until we are ready.

I believe in divine guidance as described in Isaiah 58:11. But the context reveals that there are prerequisites that have to be satisfied. We are sometimes like a person who seeks to be an athlete by simply suiting up for the race. That's not how the skills are gained. It's in the course of dedication, training, and the contest itself that one gains the skill of an athlete.

It's in the doing of God's work that His will becomes known.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You oversee every turn in the road of my life. I want to faithfully heed Your guidance today.

–Sid

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

SIGN SEEKERS:

SIGN SEEKERS: "...he sighed deeply in his spirit & said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign?..’”Mk8:11-12 wp.me/p29yfQ-3B#believe

–Theresa

Things That Cannot Be Shaken – Dr. Charles Stanley

Things That Cannot Be Shaken – Dr. Charles Stanley
As a rule, people like security. We seek what is comfortable. Yet the reality of our world is that much instability exists. For example, finances, health, and even a country’s ability to survive are not guaranteed.
When our foundation is shaken, we often feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes
Satan causes the difficulty—with God’s permission, of course. At other times, challenging circumstances are brought about by the Lord’s hand. Regardless of the source, we have the promise in Romans 8:28 that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And in either case, the Almighty’s purpose remains: to glorify Himself in our world and in our lives.
There are different reasons the Lord permits turmoil, but for now, let’s focus on one: He won’t allow anything that enables man to seem self-sufficient in his own eyes. Therefore, God may lovingly allow enough trouble for us to realize our need of Him. Consider the trials the Israelites faced each time they turned away from Jehovah to worship other gods. In many ways, we do the same thing today. Individually, in our churches, and as a nation, we often glorify “gods” like money or status. But the One who created us will not tolerate this.
In our pride, we tend to think we’re able to manage without God. But out of love, He may stir up our lives to reveal our dependence upon Him. If you are basing your security on anything except Jesus Christ—even something as seemingly innocent as comfort—it will prove to be sinking sand.

–Sid

Monday, June 9, 2014

Shhhh!:

Shhhh!: “Be still, and know that I am God....” Ps46:10 wp.me/s29yfQ-shhhh#bestill #quiettime #listen #Godspeaks

–Theresa

Integrity Reflects Godly Wisdom – John MacArthur

Integrity Reflects Godly Wisdom – John MacArthur

“As for [Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego], God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.”
-- Daniel 1:17

Godly wisdom guards against the influences of a godless society.
From the beginning of human history Satan has tried to confuse and confound God’s purposes by corrupting man’s thinking. In the Garden of Eden he succeeded by calling God’s character into question and convincing Eve that her disobedience would have no consequences. To this day he continues to deceive entire civilizations by blinding “the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4).
Daniel and his friends were captives of a pagan king who wanted to dilute their allegiance to God by reprogramming their thinking. However, unlike Eve, they were determined not to be overcome by the evil influences around them. God honored their integrity and taught them everything they needed to know to be productive in Babylonian society and to influence it for righteousness. Babylon was the center of learning in its day, boasting of advanced sciences, sophisticated libraries, and great scholars. God gave these young men the ability to learn and retain that level of knowledge, and the wisdom to apply it to their lives. Furthermore, He gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and receive visions—gifts that would prove crucial later in his life as God elevated him to a position of prominence in Babylon and revealed the plan of history to him (see chapters 7—12).
Surely Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego didn’t understand all that God had in store for them or why He would allow them to be tested so severely at such a young age. But when they chose to love and trust Him despite their circumstances, they demonstrated the kind of wisdom that protects God’s children from the influences of a godless society. As we do the same, God uses us in significant ways. Also, we find that God never calls us to a challenge that He won’t equip us to handle.

Suggestions for Prayer:
King David prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Make that your prayer as well.

For Further Study:
Read Colossians 1:9-12. What are the results of being filled with “spiritual wisdom and understanding”?

–Sid

Friday, June 6, 2014

BE CAREFUL LITTLE EYES:

BE CAREFUL LITTLE EYES: "I have made a covenant with my eyes….” Job31:1wp.me/p29yfQ-3w #pureheart #faithfulone#guardmyheart #spouse

–Theresa

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT – Dr. Neil Anderson

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT – Dr. Neil Anderson

1 Kings 3:9 
Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.

Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.

The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person--even an enemy.

The Greek word for discernment-- diakrino --simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit.

Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the discernment Your Holy Spirit provides. Without You I couldn't avoid the land mines the enemy places in my path.


–Sid

Thursday, June 5, 2014

A TWIG OF HOPE:

A TWIG OF HOPE: “And the dove came back to him...in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf....” Gen8:11wp.me/p29yfQ-3u #hope


-Theresa

God’s Assurance – Oswald Chambers

God’s Assurance – Oswald Chambers

He Himself has said . . . . So we may boldly say . . . —Hebrews 13:5-6
My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I “may boldly say, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him. The faith of many people begins to falter when apprehensions enter their thinking, and they forget the meaning of God’s assurance— they forget to take a deep spiritual breath. The only way to remove the fear from our lives is to listen to God’s assurance to us.
What are you fearing? Whatever it may be, you are not a coward about it— you are determined to face it, yet you still have a feeling of fear. When it seems that there is nothing and no one to help you, say to yourself, “But ’The Lord is my helper’ this very moment, even in my present circumstance.” Are you learning to listen to God before you speak, or are you saying things and then trying to make God’s Word fit what you have said? Take hold of the Father’s assurance, and then say with strong courage, “I will not fear.” It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in our way, because “He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you . . . .’ ”
Human frailty is another thing that gets between God’s words of assurance and our own words and thoughts. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God seems to be nonexistent. But remember God’s assurance to us— “I will never. . . forsake you.” Have we learned to sing after hearing God’s keynote? Are we continually filled with enough courage to say, “The Lord is my helper,” or are we yielding to fear?

-Sid

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

NO TRESSPASSING

NO TRESPASSING: “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.” Prov4:14 wp.me/p29yfQ-3s#rightpath

The Never Forsaking God – Oswald Chambers

The Never Forsaking God – Oswald Chambers
He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5
What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.
“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE:

MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE: "And David danced before the LORD with all his might….” 2Sam6:14 wp.me/p29yfQ-3q #happyhappyhappy #praise

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him .


The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him . . . —Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

Monday, June 2, 2014

THE SINLESS CHRIST:

THE SINLESS CHRIST: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 1Pt2:22 wp.me/p29yfQ-3o #Christ #savior #SonofGod

Are You Obsessed By Something? – Oswald Chambers

Psalm 25:12

What are you haunted (obsessed) by? You will say – By nothing, but we are all haunted (obsessed) by something, generally by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our experience. The Psalmist says we are to be haunted (obsesses) by God. The abiding consciousness of the life is to be God, not thinking about Him. The whole of our life inside and out is to be absolutely haunted (obsesses) by the presence of God. A child’s consciousness is so mother-haunted (obsessed) that although the child is not consciously thinking of its mother, yet when calamity arises, the relationship that abides is that of the mother. So we are to live and move and have our being in God, to look at everything in relation to God, because the abiding consciousness of God pushes itself to the front all the time.

If we are haunted (obsessed) by God, nothing else can get in, no cares, no tribulation, no anxieties. We see now why Our Lord so emphasized the sin of worry. How can we dare be so utterly unbelieving when God is round about us? To be haunted (obsessed) by God is to have an effective barricade against all the onslaughts of the enemy.

"His soul shall dwell at ease." In tribulation, misunderstanding, slander, in the midst of all these things, if our life is hid with Christ in God, He will keep us at ease. We rob ourselves of the marvellous revelation of this abiding companionship of God. "God is our Refuge" – nothing can come through that shelter

Friday, May 30, 2014

CHRIST IS FIRST:

CHRIST IS FIRST: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Col1:15 wp.me/p29yfQ-3m #firstplace #Jesus

Endurance; Look to the Future


Endurance; Look to the Future – John MacArthur

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17

It is far easier to endure trials when we value the future over the present.

A few years ago the popular Back to the Future movies dealt rather whimsically with the possibility of time travel, which always involved entering the future. The recurring theme was that with all the complications of tampering with the future, it was better to live in the present. Viewers could infer that, ultimately, it is not worth it to dwell a lot on the future. That is just the opposite of the apostle Paul’s attitude about the future. He dealt with the profound certainties of what awaits all believers in the life to come. For Paul, the value of the future was another important reason he could endure life’s sufferings and trials. The temporal pain for him and us is inconsequential compared to what awaits us in Heaven (Rom. 8:18).

Trials are inevitable, and the pain associated with them can be very intense, but when compared to what we will enjoy in the future, they hardly matter. Paul saw them as light afflictions, or literally “weightless trifles.” He knew that their real significance is only in how they contribute to our eternal glory. That contribution is anything but trivial. Rather, it produces “an eternal weight of glory.” Concerning this expression, it’s as if Paul envisioned an old-fashioned two-sided scale that was being tipped in favor of the future by the cumulative mass (“eternal weight of glory”) of his individual sufferings. Paul could endure the pain of present trials when he was certain that they contributed positively to his life in Heaven.

The amount of trials and suffering you and I endure now is also directly linked to our eternal rewards. Those rewards are not external bonuses such as fancier crowns, better robes, or bigger heavenly mansions. Instead they refer to our increased capacity to praise, serve, and glorify God. That fulfilled Paul’s greatest desire and enabled him to joyfully persevere in trials, and it should do the same for us.

Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask God to give you a perspective that sees every trial as trivial in light of eternal rewards.

For Further Study:
Read Romans 8:18-25. How far do the effects of sin and suffering extend? What does Paul say about hope in this passage?

 

Thursday, May 29, 2014

IN MY RIGHT MIND:

IN MY RIGHT MIND: “...[they] found the man... sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind....”Lk8:35 wp.me/p29yfQ-3j

Endurance: The Value of the Spiritual


Endurance: The Value of the Spiritual – John MAcArthur

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17

Believers are far more blessed when they concentrate on the spiritual rather than physical aspects of life.

Concerning endurance, Paul is again our role model. One reason he was able to endure pain and trials was that he knew the physical was far less important and lasting than the spiritual. He realized that our physical bodies are naturally aging and therefore not permanent. He was probably aware of this more than most people because his rigorous ministry with its travel demands hastened his own aging process. And surely he also aged more rapidly than others because of all the physical and emotional persecution he endured from his enemies.

Paul was able to accept physical suffering and aging because he knew his inner man (his spiritual self, his new creation) was being renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16). It’s not easy for us to follow Paul’s example; yet he urges believers to “set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Many of the trials and sufferings the Lord brings to us compel us to obey Paul’s words, look away from ourselves, and experience the spiritual growth that is so directly the result of suffering (see 1 Peter 5:10). God’s Word assures us that He will provide all the strength we need to endure. In closing, consider the prophet’s words:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Suggestions for Prayer:
As you go through this day, pray that the Lord would help you focus on the spiritual rather than the physical.

For Further Study:
Read Hebrews 11:1-16. What common ingredient allowed those in this passage to look beyond the physical toward the spiritual?

 

 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

God Is Always In Control – Dr. Charles Stanley


God Is Always In Control – Dr. Charles Stanley


I admit that I often don’t understand why bad things happen. Even so, I believe that God has a purpose for everythingHe does or permits. My faith is rooted in the biblical principle that says the Lord is sovereign (Ps. 22:28). He is in absolute control of this universe, the natural and political climate of this earth, and my life and yours.

When we are in the midst of a trial, it is hard to resist crying out, “God, Why is this happening?” Sometimes we get the answer and sometimes we don’t. What we can be sure of is that nothing happens by accident or coincidence. He has a purpose for even our most painful experiences. Moreover, we have His promise to “cause all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28).

Seeing in advance how the Lord will work evil or hurt for our benefit is very difficult, if not impossible. My limited human perspective doesn’t allow me to grasp His greater plan. However, I can confirm the truth of this biblical promise because the Father’s good handiwork appears all through my pain, hardship, and loss. I have experienced Him turn mourning into gladness and have seen Him reap bountiful blessings and benefits from my darkest hours.

As believers, we must accept that God won’t always make sense to us. Isaiah teaches that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own (Isa. 55:9). He sees the beautifully completed big picture. We can rely on the fact that God is in control, no matter how wildly off-kilter our world seems to spin. 

Thursday, May 22, 2014

ALWAYS RIGHT:

ALWAYS RIGHT: “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just....” Deut32:4 wp.me/p29yfQ-38 #perfect #right #neverwrong

A Traitor Turns To Christ


A Traitor Turns To Christ by John MacArthur

 

The twelve apostles included "Matthew the tax-gatherer" (Matt. 10:3).


I remember reading a notice in a local newspaper announcing the opening of a new evangelical church in our community. It gave the date and time of the first services, then added, "our special guest star will be . . ." and named a popular Christian celebrity. In its attempt to appeal to unbelievers or simply draw a large crowd, the church today commonly uses that kind of approach.

Jesus, however, used a different approach. None of His disciples were famous at all. In fact, rather than drawing a favorable crowd, some of them might have repelled or even incited anger and hatred among His Jewish audience. Matthew was such a man because he was a despised tax-gatherer--one of many Jewish men employed by Rome to collect taxes from his own people. As such he was regarded as a traitor by his own countrymen.

The Roman tax system allowed tax collectors to keep anything they collected in excess of what was owed to Rome. That encouraged bribes, extortion, and other abuses.

To compound the issue, Matthew was among those who had the prerogative of taxing almost anything they wanted to tax--roads, bridges, harbors, axles, donkeys, packages, letters, imports, exports, merchandise, and so on. Such men could accumulate enormous wealth for themselves. You might remember another tax-gatherer named Zaccheus, who is described in Luke 19:2 as a wealthy man. His salvation was evidenced by his offer to repay fourfold to those he had defrauded (v. 8).

Some people think God can't use them because they're not famous or because of their past sins. But God has used Matthew, Zaccheus, and millions of others like them. Concentrate on your present purity and let God bless your ministry as He sees fit.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God that he has made you a new person in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Minister in light of that reality!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

By your patience possess your souls


By your patience possess your souls —Luke 21:19

When a person is born again, there is a period of time when he does not have the same vitality in his thinking or reasoning that he previously had. We must learn to express this new life within us, which comes by forming the mind of Christ (see Philippians 2:5). Luke 21:19 means that we take possession of our souls through patience. But many of us prefer to stay at the entrance to the Christian life, instead of going on to create and build our soul in accordance with the new life God has placed within us. We fail because we are ignorant of the way God has made us, and we blame things on the devil that are actually the result of our own undisciplined natures. Just think what we could be when we are awakened to the truth!

There are certain things in life that we need not pray about— moods, for instance. We will never get rid of moodiness by praying, but we will by kicking it out of our lives. Moods nearly always are rooted in some physical circumstance, not in our true inner self. It is a continual struggle not to listen to the moods which arise as a result of our physical condition, but we must never submit to them for a second. We have to pick ourselves up by the back of the neck and shake ourselves; then we will find that we can do what we believed we were unable to do. The problem that most of us are cursed with is simply that we won’t. The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh.

 

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

SURELY:

SURELY: “. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matt28:20 wp.me/s29yfQ-surely #nodoubt #confident #Christ

Faith vs. Doubt by Pete Briscoe


Faith vs. Doubt by Pete Briscoe

 

Faith and doubt are by no means mutually exclusive; doubt is rather the shadow which everywhere follows faith and trust.” —Wolfhart Pannenberg

 

Abraham and Sarah wrestled with a lot of doubt and asked tons of questions right after God told them they were going to have kids. But, it was true. I'm sure their minds and emotions told them that they would be childless forever. But, that was a lie.

 

Wikipedia defines doubt as “a status between belief and disbelief, involves uncertainty or distrust or lack of sureness of an alleged fact, an action, a motive, or a decision.”

 

Let's be honest, to a certain degree all of us live in this "status between belief and disbelief." Sometimes we have the same reaction as Abraham and Sarah when we hear the truth about who we are in Christ, one of the promises God has made, or even prophecies about what the future holds. It is natural for our flesh to doubt when we are first exposed to the Truth. Even the disciples wrestled with this.

 

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later… he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” —John 20:24-29

 

Don’t feel pressured if you have doubts. You aren’t being unfaithful or betraying God by questioning what you believe.

 

Belief is a courageous process.

 

In fact, a sincere, growing faith emerges from doubt. I think doubt, to a certain degree, will always be with us until that day when we can put our fingers into His nail-scared hand.

 

God, I want to call You, “My Lord!” and live with You as “my God!” just like Thomas proclaimed. Thank You for understanding my doubts as I continually reject lies and Page replace them with Your truth. Show me the next lie that You want to replace! Amen.

 

 

Monday, May 19, 2014

WE NEED GOD MORE:

WE NEED GOD MORE: “And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.’” Ex33:15 wp.me/p29yfQ-31

The Beauty of Pain


The Beauty of Pain – By Steve Arterburn

 

News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and paralyzed, and he healed them. - Matthew 4:24

 

Pain is something most of us try to avoid, at all costs. It’s the reason some of us are trapped in addictions and hate the thought of each new day. But pain is also one of the best things that God allows in our lives. Pain is a great motivator. It lets you know that there is something that you need to pay attention to. It lets you know when doing things your way no longer works. It’s a tool that when used to your benefit will redirect your life.

 

But in that redirection, you have a choice. You can chose to cover the pain to treat the symptom and never treat the cause. Or you can do a little work, find the cause, and deal with it once and for all.   

 

You might continue in life with the pain, like a pointed stick poking at your spirit, but never doing anything about it. But that pain is telling you to back up, take an inventory of your actions and attitudes, to make amends with someone, to seek help from someone who’s been there before or has experience you don’t have. It’s also telling you that God is in charge, and you’re not.  

 

So, accept pain as your friend. Make the choice to deal with the root issue, and not just the resulting pain. When the issue is dealt with, the pain will subside. Pain is part of your healing, but if you deal with it wisely, it will lead to a road of freedom and a pathway of lasting joy.

 

“Pain is short and joy is eternal.” -J. C. F. Von Schiller (1759-1805)

 

 

Friday, May 16, 2014

REVIVAL:

REVIVAL: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”Ps51:12 wp.me/s29yfQ-revival #joy #saved #refresh

NAME OF GOD:


NAME OF GOD: Jehovah Elohim Yeshua

Verse:

O LORD (Jehovah), the God (Elohim) of my salvation (Yeshua), I have cried out by day and in the night before You. - Psalm 88:1

Meaning:

LORD God of My Salvation.

Prayer: Adoration

Jehovah Elohim Yeshua, you are the Lord God of my salvation. You reign from heaven and rule on earth. You rescue those in need and bind up the brokenhearted. You save not only eternally but in time and history. You save me from making wrong choices or going down the wrong path through the wisdom of your Word. You save me from living a life of misery and regret through the compassion of your healing forgiveness and grace. You save me from worry knowing that I can trust in you. You save me from confusion when I seek your truth and kingdom agenda in my life. I praise you because you are Jehovah Elohim Yeshua, the Lord God of my salvation.

 

By Dr. Tony Evans