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God Never Promised That He Wouldn’t Give Us More Than We Can Handle!

Sarah Trimmer

Sarah Trimmer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

God Never Promised
That He Wouldn’t Give Us
More Than We Can Handle!

 

1 Cor. 10:13 “ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (NAS)
This scripture has been misquoted for so long as, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” that we believe it. So what is wrong with that you ask? It’s dangerous; if we believe this than we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. And this type of disappointment could separate us from God!
First off God does not “give” us anything bad. To imply such is a lie. He may allow bad things to happen in our lives for many reasons. This is a very devious plan by the enemy to make God accountable for his schemes! And we fall for it! It is up to us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that we can discern why things happen the way they do. But rest assured, it is not God that is doing it to you. We misquote this verse to comfort one another. Let’s look deeper into this verse so we can understand why we need to be careful.
What is this scripture saying? God says that He will provide a way of escape for us when we are tempted so we can “endure” it. Now if we are to believe the misquoted version of this verse, we are told that He will not give us more than we can handle. This implies that things will only get so bad and then poof; we will be delivered from the current situation! Not correct, we are given an escape so that we can endure. That means so that we can stand strongly and firmly rooted in our faith and hope. He provides the way for us to stand firm, but we still have to endure it! When our faith is tested in such a way it strengthens us, it grows us.
So what is this “escape route” that God gives us? Let’s cross reference this verse with 2 Peter 2:9 “…then the Lord knows how to rescue the “godly” from trials…” (NAS)
If we are “godly” we can escape temptations, in other words, we do not have to give in to them. They won’t go away, but we will be able to endure them. The word godly means to be devoted to God’s ways. The word rescue means to set free. So if we will be devoted to God’s ways He will set us free from temptations. Not take them away, but rather give us the ability, the tools to endure them. If we are never tempted or tested how can we know that we have faith? If I say I have the stamina to run a marathon, but never do then it is just words. Being a Christian is more than just saying it, being a Christian is an action. It is a way of life. Jesus (the one for Whom the title Christian is derived from) did not sit back, He did things, He was active in His time here. He set the example that we are to live by. So rejoice in the temptations and trials 1 Peter 4:13 “Instead, be very glad–for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world….”(NLT).
God will free us from giving in to temptations and trials, but only when we choose to be godly. This is His free gift to us! Our escape route! But you may say I am not being tempted, I am being persecuted. So what are the choices you have in that situation? To stand firm or give in right? But I say this to you, isn’t the TEMPTATION to give in great? Of course it is! It’s easier to swim with the current than against it. It is human nature to want to be accepted not rejected. All of these things are temptations. We just don’t see them in that way. I implore you all; we need to start seeing things that way. In every trial there is a temptation; God has given us an escape route, to be godly. He has not promised that the problem will go away; He just gives us a way to be victorious. And that should be more than enough for us…
The next time you or someone you know is suffering, do not misquote this passage. But rather be reminded, and remind others, that if you are willing to be godly, than God has given you an escape route to be able to stand against temptation and trials.
Remember faith is only faith when it is put to the test! Otherwise it is just words that we speak. 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;…” (NLT); James 2:14 “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” (NLT); James 2:18 “Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” (NLT)

 

As always, God Bless you till we meet again…

 

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How Does Jesus Fit Into Your Problems?

How Does Jesus Fit Into Your Problems?
    When problems arise there are things, as Christians, that we must do to overcome them.
1.    Ask yourself where does Jesus fit into the problem?
Am I relying on His strength and teachings in my life to get through this; or am I relying on my own wisdom?
A.    Am I being persecuted because of my faith?
If the answer is yes, than rejoice! You are a threat to the devil and he is trying to stop you!
B.    Did I walk outside of God’s will?
If the answer is yes, then repent! Be honest with yourself and God and tell Him that you are a sinner that needs saving, mercy, grace and forgiveness every single second of every day.
C.    Is God allowing this situation to grow me?
This is a tough one for all people. We do not want to be uncomfortable. We do not like to be called out of our comfort zones. But if we are not growing then we are not active in our faith. Growing pains are a normal part of being a Christian if you are doing it right. Remember, no one wants to get water from a stagnant spring.
2.    Where does scripture fit into your problem?
Are you seeking guidance from the Bible or are you looking to the world for the answer to your problem?
A.    If you are being persecuted for your faith then get into the word. The Bible has the answer for every single problem you will ever face. Test this and see if it is not true!
B.    If you are suffering because of sin, find out what the Bible has to say and apply it to your life. Be obedient and honest in this situation, so you can receive God’s blessings.
C.    Paul talks about having a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7) so that he would be kept humble. Seek God’s wisdom and see if He is not using this situation to grow you into a more mature Christian. He uses trials of all kinds to help us become better warriors for His Kingdom.
Open your Bible and read Job, read the crucifixion account again. We are called to be warriors, we are called to be strong and to suffer for the Lord’s sake. The Bible tells us to rejoice in these times (Romans 5:3 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (NLT)). To me the key advice that I can give to anyone that comes to me when they are suffering trials is to encourage them with words that God spoke to me years ago…
The devil must think that you are a threat to his kingdom if he is attacking you. So rejoice and stand firm because you are doing my will and I will bless you.
We do not serve a selfish and hurtful God. Rather, He is merciful and gracious to our sufferings. If we face trouble, He comforts us. He has given us a guide book for every single thing that we will ever encounter. AND He tells us how to overcome every single obstacle!
3.    How do people fit into your problems?
Are we fighting people? Because the Bible tells us that our battle is not with them, but rather the evil that is in this world that uses people.
A.    There are people that will target you because of your faith. You will be held to a different standard in this world. As Christians we say that we want to be set apart from the world. But the truth is, when we are called out for doing what the world around us does we get upset. Unless of course it’s for praise. We all struggle with this. We try to walk the fence, one side in the word and one side in the world. This is not how we should be. We are to live blameless lives before God and this world. If I act like the world than I am part of it. How can I be a witness for the holiness of God if I am carrying on like everyone else? I can’t!
So how do you overcome this? How do you handle these people that come at you because of your faith? Don’t just throw around the rubber stamp answer like “Pray”, “Read the word”, or  “Stand fast”. Apply them! If you say that you are going to seek God and His will then stop right then and do it! I understand that sometimes you may be in a place where it does not seem possible. But prayer is ALWAYS possible no matter where you are or what you are going through. Prayer does not have to be pomp and circumstance.
 It has to be from your heart, a broken and humble heart. Matt. 6:5-8 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (NIV). James 4:3 “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.” (NLT).
 It is when we have deep awe and respect for God that He listens to us. Is. 29:13 “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” (NLT)
Let Jesus be the solution to all your problems. You may not get immediate answers or comfort, but He promises us that if we will ask according to His will that He will comfort us in His time. Until then we must stand firm and believe that God knows what He is doing.
As always, God Bless you till we meet again…

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The Selfish Scheme (The Trick of I) Part 2

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Jesus

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The Selfish Scheme
(The Trick of I)
Part 2

 

Paul tells us to be poured out like a drink offering, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. We are called to be longsuffering.
1Peter 2:19 “For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.” (NAS); 
2 Tim 2:3,9 “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” “…for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained…” (NAS);
Ro. 5:3 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (NLT);
Job 36:15 “But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.” (NLT);
 Is. 53:3 “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (NAS);
1 Thess. 1:6 “So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.” (NLT)
My point is that we are called to suffer for the sake of Christ. So when we tell ourselves and others that the only thing that matters is whether they are happy or not, it is not true. What matters is how we serve God! Serving God takes selflessness, not selfishness. If we focus on ourselves I guarantee that you will fail and fall in areas of your life. Let’s ask ourselves this, why did Jesus suffer?
FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS!
NOT HIMSELF!
Why do you follow Jesus? I think that we would be shocked to find that most of the time the answer is, “because of the gift of salvation.”
THIS IS SELFISHNESS!
God loved us while we were still sinners, 1Jn. 4:9-10 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (NIV).
Jesus died for us even though we are unworthy, Ro. 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (NAS).
He is forgiving, He is gracious, He is merciful, Ps. 78:38 “But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.” (NAS).
Shouldn’t our answer to why we follow Jesus is because He first loved us when we were not worthy of that love? That Salvation is the gift that we receive because we love Him and want to serve Him?
Why would Jesus do all this? Why would He sacrifice so much for us? Because it wasn’t about Him! It was about saving us! It was about showing us how we ought to live. Don’t you think that Jesus could have come to earth and been a sacrifice without having to go through all of the trials and sufferings that He went through before the cross? Don’t you think that He could have been that perfect sacrifice without being treated badly by people? Why would He go through all that? Because He wanted to leave us with the example of how we are to live.
Heb. 10:10 “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”(NLT);
1 Jn. 1:3 “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (NAS);
2 Pt 3:11 “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,” (NAS); 
1 Thess. 4:1 “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.” (NLT);
Ja. 4:15 “What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”(NLT);
1 Cor. 15:34 “Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.” (NLT); 
Ex. 18:20 “Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.” (NLT). SELFLESSLY, NOT SELFISHLY!
We make everything about us; even helping others. We don’t volunteer in ministry because it is not our “calling”, we won’t feel good about it. Sometimes we need to fill in the gaps till someone that is “called” can take it. But what about us? What if we are not happy? What if we are not blessed? The Bible has this to say;
1 Pt 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (NLT);
Pro 5:23 “He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.” (NLT).
I hate to be the one to break the news to you but, IT DOESN’T MATTER! Your happiness is not important! Titus 3:14 “Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.” (NLT). To meet the urgent needs of others so that we will not be unproductive (in the NAS it says so that we will not be unfruitful). It does not say meet your own urgent needs so that you can be happy. We are called to be selfless. This is the example that we are given throughout the Bible from OT to NT.
If you want to call yourself a Christian then I would suggest that you learn what it means. The word Christian means follower of Christ. Or imitator of Christ. This means to be selfless.
We are all called and gifted by God in different ways. We are all one body that is supposed to be working towards the same goal; to win souls for the kingdom of God. No one is more important than anyone else. 1 Cor. 12:4-31 lists what the gifts are and then goes on to say that all parts are equally important. Remember back in our study on the Armor of God, we talked about if one part of the armor is damaged or missing that the armor would not be able to function the way it was intended? Well it is the same with the body of Christ (the church). If we are all clambering to get to the top, if we all want that head seat than we are failing. We are all given gifts, talents and abilities. And trust me for those that are called to be leaders and problem solvers and advice givers, it is a burden most days. They stand alone, always wanted but never needed.
So when you call those people or person in your life time and time again for help or advice; SIT BACK, SHUT UP AND LISTEN! After all why are you asking them in the first place to help you or give you advice if you do not think that the advice will be sound or godly? If you see that the advice or counsel that you are receiving is not godly than walk away and do not seek them out again. If the advice is sound and godly than take it. Do not grumble about the words that are used because it may have convicted you, listen to the message. Perhaps the person that you have just gotten advice from has the gift of wisdom from the Holy Spirit. (1Cor. 12:28). Perhaps this person has been appointed by God to be a leader in a sea of followers. But we in our selfishness systematically tear these people down, we undermine the very message that God is trying to give us.
We stumble in darkness. We go to the people around us that emit light. We seek relief from the things that bother us. Then when the very light that you have sought out exposes the darkness that is within you (your sin) you criticize the giver of the message. You tear them down, you gossip, you talk behind their backs.
Let me give you an example here. Ladies when we look into a makeup mirror that is all lit up, and it shows all of our flaws what is the first thing that we say? “This light makes me look awful!” Not that the reflection that we are looking at is our true reflection, it has to be the lights fault for making us look that way. It cannot be the choices that we make in life, it cannot be the decisions that we make that have a negative impact on our lives; no it is the light. I can smoke for 20 years and look like an old handbag, but it is the fault of the cigarette maker, not me for making the decision to have picked up smoking in the beginning. Are you seeing the picture that I am trying to paint here? Pro 20:27 “The LORD’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.” (NLT). It is the Lord’s light that exposes us, not the giver of the message!
This is the very thing that we do to the people that we get advice from, that we seek help from. If don’t like what they have to say we make it about them. About how they are the problem, not that it is our choices that have gotten us into our situation. If they tell us what we want to hear than they are awesome! If not, then we sputter and grumble and complain about them. 2 Tim 4:3 “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” (NLT).
Come back tomorrow for part 3.
As always, God Bless you till we meet again…

 

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The Selfish Scheme (The Trick of I) Part 1

The Temptation of Christ, 1854

The Temptation of Christ, 1854 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cover of "Stop It!"

Cover of Stop It!

The Selfish Scheme
(The Trick of I)
Part 1

I discovered last night another scheme of the Devil.  I was told that when someone comes to you for advice, or asks for help you should not say things like “ You should do this…” or; “You should do that…” That it makes people “feel” like you are telling them what to do.
HOLD THE PHONE! Isn’t that why you ask for advice? Isn’t that the very reason you ask for help? I am told that we should use different words like; “This is what I would do…” or, “In my opinion…” Now while I agree that in times when someone seeks my advice or help if I have personally gone through the same thing I will say something like that. However, “herein” this “advice” lies the “scheme of selfishness”. This political correctness that is infecting our society and destroying it like a rotten tooth; is now creeping its way into our Christianity. It is poisoning us; if the enemy can keep us focused on feelings and the quarreling over words than he wins. 2 Tim 2:14 “…Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them…” (NLT)
So how exactly does the enemy use this quarreling of words to defeat us? Look around! If you call me and ask for my help or advice in what to do; and I tell you what to do; you are then offended because of my choice of words; because it makes you feel like you are being told what to do! (This is an analogy, not directed at anyone). Are we not doing EXACTLY what this scripture tells us not to do? Of course we are. STOP IT! They are words, as long as they are spoken in love with the intentions of God’s will to be done by the hearer than stop bickering about the choice of words and start listening to the meaning of the message.
2 Tim 4:2 “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (NAS) We are all called to be servants. Each and every one of us; no matter what your gifting is, no matter what your calling, we are all called to be servants to that gift or calling. Because in the end it is all for the same purpose, to tell the world about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice upon the cross. It is to tell the world that God loves them and forgives them; that He is waiting for them as the father waited for his prodigal son to return. We need to be ready in season and out. In other words, we need to be ready even when we don’t feel like we are ready.
It’s hard to serve others if you are focused on yourself and your feelings and your wants isn’t it? So you see this is where this scheme of selfishness starts to use its poison to paralyze what God has planned for us. If we change our vernacular because the people who seek us out with THEIR problems, the people who seek you out for your advice are offended, or put off by our choice of words what happens? We start to believe that it is us that are being rejected. We start to take it personally; we no longer make it the act of trying to help someone else, but rather that it is an attack on us personally.  We start to think that our opinion is the only one that counts, not that it is God that is working through us in the ministry of; 1 Cor. 12:8 “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit…” (NAS) This is a crafty, stealthy scheme that is systematically destroying this world! It takes a gift from God and makes it a selfish burden that we hide so that we can be accepted by our peers rather than focusing on obedience to the words that God has stored up in our hearts on the basis of correction and exhortation one to another. Foundations are crushed, friendships are lost, families destroyed. All because we want to quarrel over words instead of looking the meaning of the message.
Let me give you one more example then we will call it a day and visit this topic again tomorrow. This example is another direct result of this scheme of selfishness.
We don’t want to offend anyone with truth or our opinion. So we say things like “if it makes you happy…” or “what does your heart tell you, because in the end that is all that matters…” Before I go further let me give you a few scriptures to back up what I am about to say; Ecclesiastes 10:2 “A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left.” (NAS); Proverbs 23:12 “Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.” (NAS); Proverbs 23:15-16 “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.” (NAS); Pro 23: 19 “Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path…” (NAS); Pro 23: 23 “Buy the truth and do not sell it—wisdom, instruction and insight as well…” (NAS); and last but to me the most important verse; Pro 23:26 “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my way…” (NAS).  THIS IS A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL! It is being use to systematically destroy! This is the definition of selfishness! To only be worried about yourself, your own needs, your own feelings and desires. So when we change our vocabulary to be politically correct with others and say things like, “whatever makes you happy…” ECT. Then what we are telling them is that it is ok to focus on your own selfishness. We get hurt and offended if we are having a problem and we go to someone for godly advice or counsel and they don’t tell us what we want to hear. We walk away upset because our needs were not met. Well this is what scripture has to say about that; 1 Corinthians 3:3 “…for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (NLT); Romans 16:17 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” (NAS); 2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves…” (NAS); Jude 1:19 “These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them…” (NLT); 2 Cor. 12:20 “For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.” (NLT). This is the result of political correctness.

Join me tomorrow for more in this subject…
As always, God bless you till we meet again…

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I Want to be a Scarred Warrior; Not a Wounded One!

I Want to be a Scarred Warrior;
Not a Wounded One!
    What is the difference between a scar and a wound? Healing! Our scars are there to remind us, of the things that we have been saved from, the things that we need not do again, and the things that made us victors or victims in this life. For some of us we are tearing open our scars and keeping them wounds instead. We do this every time we let hurts keep us from doing God’s will. We do this when we give in to temptation that God has delivered us from. We do this when we let the things of our past mold and shape our current life. We remain victims, we leave the wounds open and let them get infected. I want to be a scarred warrior for God, not a wounded one.
    If I am wounded I am in pain and am distracted by the pain, I am no good to fight. All I can focus on is the pain. When we are wounded we need to focus on healing. Of course I am speaking metaphorically here. The wounds that I am talking about are the hurts of this life, the distractions, and the attacks from the enemy. We can be victims or victors; it’s a manner of mindset. If I tell myself that I am a victim of Joe’s rumors, if I tell myself that I am a victim of Sally’s anger then I can make myself feel better about being mistreated. Also I can take the focus off the part I may have played in either situation. We make ourselves victims; this is the way of our culture. This person did this because their parents didn’t love them enough, that person did that because he was bullied 20 years ago. I am not saying that our past doesn’t mold us and influence us. What I am saying is that our past shouldn’t control us.
    I don’t want to be wounded by my past, because this would imply that it still has control over me. I want to take those wounds FROM my past and let Jesus heal them and be a scarred warrior for Him. My scars remind me of where I HAVE BEEN, NOT WHERE I AM. Scars remind, wounds bind. I do not want to be bound to my hurts, pains, rejections, and betrayals. I want to be reminded of all that God has done for me. I can look upon each and every scar I have in my life both physical and emotional and say, “God has been so good to me; He has delivered me from the lion’s den to His grace and mercy!”

    When you see men and women who have taken two, three and more tours during wartime you see people that are scarred warriors. These are people who have survived battles and learned each time from the wounds that they received what to do and what not to do the next time they are in battle. This is what keeps them alive. This is how the Christian warrior needs to be. We need to take each new day (tour) into the battlefield (our lives) and learn from yesterday’s scars. End each day with inspection of our armor and see where the armor may be weakened. We need to spend time in the word every day so that we have the sword (our only weapon) sharpened and ready to defend the gospel that we are to spread. We need to be prepared every single second of our lives to be able and ready for the battle. We cannot be effective warriors if we are tending to wounds.
It’s time to let God heal you and it’s time for us to let go. Stop allowing ourselves to be of a victim’s mindset, start claiming the victories that God gives us. Be bound to your deliverer, not your destroyer. When we focus on our wounds we focus on the things that wound us. If we are focused on those things then we are not focused on the One Who is able to heal us and deliver us according to His promises. So we ALLOW ourselves to stay wounded instead of scarred. This makes us wounded warriors.
Take this time and meditate on the words that have been spoken. Take the time to examine your life and see if you are walking around as a wounded warrior, or a scarred warrior. If you test yourself and see that you are still tender in areas, than ask God (with a true heart) to heal you. Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (NLT)

As always, God bless you till we meet again…

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Godly Confidence and Godly Righteousness

Godly Confidence and Godly Righteousness
(There will be no blog for tomorrow. May you all find blessing in the house of the Lord on His day.)
(Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s that read my blog’s. May God bless each and every one of you!)
Philippians 3:3b, 9c “…put no confidence in the flesh…” “…the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…”

    The word confidence here means to obey. So what Paul is saying is don’t obey your flesh. Your flesh has no righteousness in it. Walk in consultation of the Holy Spirit, not the passions and desires of the flesh. For it is in this confidence of our own abilities apart from God that we get carried away with temptations and sin. We have to seek God’s righteousness in our lives.
    And how exactly does one “obtain” the righteousness of God? Through faith Paul says. This is true righteousness. I think sometimes that we confuse righteousness with good works. This doesn’t make you righteous, believing in God’s goodness, believing in His promises of deliverance, believing that Jesus has set you free from your past, believing that He is coming again to bring us to Heaven. This is faith, and this is where the righteousness comes from that God wants us to attain to. Good works is our way to show the world Gods love, but also to show God and the world that we are changed.
    I see so many people struggling with temptations and the sins that follow. It breaks my heart; if we would just stop and really focus on what God wants for our lives, but instead we only focus on our flesh. I see people putting themselves in bad situations, then being carried away by the sins of their flesh, just because they think they can “handle” it. We put confidence in other people’s flesh too. We get ourselves into compromising positions thinking that the other person can “handle” it. Or worse, we use the other person as our scapegoat to act ungodly. Why is it so hard for us to be faithful to God? Because we put confidence in our flesh! We do not have the righteousness of God because we do not have faith. We have the ability to be so much more than we are if we would be willing to let go of our old ways and live for Jesus. We need to get to that place in our lives where we are willing to say “Not my will Father but Yours be done in my life…” until that day comes for us, we will always struggle with putting confidence in the flesh.

As always, God Bless you till we meet again…

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Vindication

Vindication
Luke 21:12-19, 34 “But before all these things, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues…for my name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all on account of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives…Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap;…”

    It’s not up to us to defend ourselves. God will vindicate us. In our times of deepest trouble He will answer for us if we are willing to walk in obedience with His Spirit. In V 14 it states that we should not make up our own minds “beforehand”; as with anything, this too is a choice. We choose to defend ourselves or we allow God to not only to defend us, but vindicate us as well.
    We serve a mighty and awesome God, who is faithful and just. In V 18 it states “yet not a hair of your head will perish”. If we are truly repentant and living our lives according to Gods ways,  then we are already vindicated. This vindication comes in the gift of Heaven. We struggle on this earth, we suffer. We want to be vindicated, especially when we feel that we are being persecuted and we are innocent. But God tells us to stand firm in Him and trust that in that day if we are being obedient that He will give us the words to speak that our enemies cannot refute. He tells us to beware that our hearts are not to be weighted down with the cares of this world.
    Sometimes that seems like it is easier said than done doesn’t it? But if we can fully rely on God, if we can fully trust in Him and His promises to us than we will be ok. I know that it is hard to stand when the world is trying to knock you down, but remember this is not our home. We have stored up for us treasures in Heaven that we cannot even begin to comprehend. Jesus wasn’t welcomed open armed most of the time, but He kept on with His Father’s business. He suffered for our sakes, even though He Himself was innocent. We are not innocent; we are sinners that are saved by grace. We are called to follow Him and walk as He walked. Jesus tells us several times in the scriptures that we WILL be persecuted for His names sake. The Christian life is not for the weak, it takes the strength to stand up when the world is pushing you down. It takes nerve to be the only one swimming against the current. It takes power to keep up your strength in turbulent times. But I warn you, make sure that your POWER is coming from God and not yourself! If we rely on our own power than we will 100% of the time FAIL. Live for God and love the world despite how they treat you. This is the recipe for success.
    V 19 states “By your endurance you will gain your lives.” Endurance means long suffering. Think of the long suffering our Father in Heaven goes through, His very creation rebelling against Him; especially those who say that they will follow His ways and the teachings of His Son; but then do not. Often times we have a hard time standing firm in the word and testimony of God in times of trouble, especially of that trouble seem to last longer than we want. If we can look past the temporal and into the eternal and remember that all things are passing away, but the word of our Lord abides forever and that He will speak for us in our times of trouble; then we need not fear. Casting all our burdens upon Him, and taking up His yoke, for it is easy and His load is light.

(This was written 3/28/01)
As always, God Bless you till we meet again…

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Ministry of Reconciliation

Ministry of Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
“Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”(NAS)

    This is a study that I wrote back on March 18, 2001. This is more of a personal account than a study really. I wanted to share it with you for encouragement. May the Lord bless you as you read this. And my prayer for you is that you would be inspired by the Holy Spirit to go forth in this ministry of reconciliation and be successful. For its only when we stop thinking about ourselves that we can truly focus on the things that are outside of us and make a difference in this world for Jesus.
    We worry so much about our personal relationships with people that we lose focus on the ministry of reconciliation to God that He has given us. We should be more concerned with others reconciliation with God than their relationships with us. We all want to be popular, it’s human nature. We all want to feel important to someone. John 12:43 “For they loved human praise more than the praise of God…” (NLT) But our focus must be on the ministry of reconciliation.
    I want to share with you a couple of examples of this ministry of reconciliation in my own life. I met my next door neighbors son one day when I was out in my yard gardening. I was going through a very rough time in my life; I was sitting in the sun in my front yard planting flowers listening to Christian music. A car pulled in next door and a man got out and went to the door, he knocked and no one answered. I told him that she had just left. He asked me what was the band that I was listening to; for the next 2 or 3 hours I talked with him about the love of Jesus, and my testimony and how God changes lives no matter what your sin is. We said our goodbyes and he left.
    (Now my reason for sharing this account with you is that in that time I never once thought about the impression that I was having on this person, I was focused on sharing with him the work that Jesus had done in my life. (Of course I didn’t know it at the time, but I was sharing the ministry of reconciliation.  I was just talking to a stranger about Jesus.)
    In any case, a month or so later I ran into him at my church! His grandmother was a little old lady that I used to sit with every Sunday. For years she had been witnessing to him, trying to get him to know Jesus. I asked him what changed for him. He told me that the biggest reason that he was there was that the time I spent with him telling him about all the things that Jesus had done for me to reconcile me with the Father. I was blown away; all I did was talk about what God had done for me. I didn’t worry about what I would say, I didn’t worry about the impression that this perfect stranger would have of me. I was struggling in my life and God used this time with a stranger to remind me of all that He had done for me. In fact, I remember as he left that day feeling grateful to God for all that he had done for me. I felt blessed to have been able to share my testimony, because it reminded me where I had come from, and no matter how bleak life seemed at that time, it was still better than where I had been. I never guessed that God would use that time to bless someone else.
    Another account of the ministry of reconciliation that I would like to share with you is about my mother. We never really had a good relationship, then, when I came to know Jesus I longed for a closer relationship. One that was focused around God. I tried and tried to witness to her. But it seemed as though it would never happen, she would never come to know Jesus, and I would never have the relationship that I longed for. She came for a visit one time and I had plans to go to a friend’s house for Christian fellowship, I invited her to come along. When we got there, we kind of went our separate ways. Throughout the night we spoke a couple of times, but I was focused on fellowship. I laughed, I joked and I had in depth biblical conversations all night long. On the ride home we exchanged pleasantries, and got home and went to bed. She left for Florida to go home a few days later.
    Weeks went by then she called me one afternoon and said “I did it!” I asked her what she was talking about. She told me that she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! I was so happy; I asked her what had changed. She told me that it was watching me interact with my friends that all of us seemed to glow and there was no alcohol or drugs involved. She said she saw a change in me that she had not noticed before. She listened to the testimonies of the people that were there, she saw with her own eyes the ministry of reconciliation in my own life.
    You see when I stopped focusing on “my” relationship with her and what “I” wanted, then God stepped in. I knew that the relationship that I desired with my mother was only possible if she knew Jesus; I tried and tried to get her to know Jesus. But now I see that it was for the wrong reasons. I was focused on my reconciliation with her, not on her reconciliation with God.    
    “…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(I would like to say that it has been 12 years since I wrote this account; and my mother is one of my best friends, in fact she has come to live with my husband and I and our 4 children. God is good and faithful; we just need to yield to His ways. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.)
    We are ambassadors for Christ, not ourselves. We have an obligation to this world to share with them the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation to God.  After all, one of the meanings of reconciliation is redemption.

    As always, God Bless you till we meet again…..

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Being a Blessing To Others, In Spite Of Your Conditions…

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane),...

Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Philippians 2:17-18
“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”
    What do you think Paul is saying to us here? What does it mean to be “poured out as a drink offering…”? It means to be sacrificed for the cause. What cause? Spreading the good news of Jesus Christ! Paul in this case was being persecuted because he was trying to witness for Jesus. He was being “sacrificed” for the service of your faith! Are we willing to be sacrificed for the sake of another’s faith? What does that even mean? It means that every person has the right to know that Jesus died for them so that they may have eternal salvation. It means that we may be called into uncomfortable situations; it means that we may be unfairly persecuted; it means that we will suffer; it means that we will have to sacrifice. But for what? For the sake that perhaps through your sufferings maybe just one person will see the joy of the Lord upon you in your time of despair and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It means that in spite of what our conditions are we NEED to be a blessing to the world around us. We need to show them that Jesus is enough. We need to show them that He comforts us. We need to show them that He speaks to the brokenhearted and wounded.
It is not easy to be a Christian, especially in these dark times. It is a sacrifice to be a Christian in today’s society. Television programs are geared for the worldly, radio is geared for the worldly, and movies are geared for the worldly. Christians have a very small niche in these markets. It is hard to resist all of the temptations. We cry and moan about the conditions of the world. We complain and grumble, but what are we doing to make it better? Are we being a blessing despite the conditions around us? Are we being a blessing despite OUR conditions? How do we stand out in a world gone mad? Stand out for Jesus that is. Paul tells us in V18 “And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”
    What is Paul saying? He is telling us that no matter what the circumstances, we must remain joyful. Imagine what it would be like if instead of walking around like the world and grumbling about everything that is wrong with it, we try to be joyful that God is still on the throne? Can you imagine what it would be like if instead of when we are tried and suffer we would show the world that Jesus is still in control of our lives? How can the world tell if we are different being a Christian if we look like them? When we suffer we should still be able to share the joy that is the salvation of Jesus. We live in a world that wants instant gratification; they want to see the results now! They want to know that there are benefits to being a believer. Jesus saves us the instant we ask for forgiveness and ask Him to enter into our hearts. How is that for instant results! But what does the world see? They see a sour faced bunch; they see a group of people who say, “God bless you…”, “I’ll be praying for you…” But where is the fruit of that faith? Works will not get us into heaven that is not why we do them. We do them because it is the example that Jesus left us. Because in spite of what is going on in our lives we must still be a blessing to the world around us. Showing this broken and hurting world that there is hope; and that hope is found in Jesus Christ alone. This cannot be done with mere words; we must show with our actions. James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Our works are for the blessing of others. It is to be a testimony of the love of Jesus. It is to show the world that in spite of what may be going on in your life that the love of God is the most important part of your life. It should be a testimony that God is bigger than any problem.
    Philippians 2:14
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing…”
    What happens to us when we are treated unfairly? Do we not grumble? Do we not dispute what is happening to us? This is not the example that Paul gives us. Nor is this the example of Jesus.  We get caught up in the woes of this life and in turn we give up the joy of the Lord. Romans 8:17 “…and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him…” It’s human nature to want to defend ourselves when we are treated unfairly. But Paul tries to convey to us, remind us, that this is not the way of the Lord. We must keep our joy in the Lord always under every circumstance in our lives. And most importantly, we need to share that joy with others.
    Nothing quite compares to meeting a person who is in the middle of suffering a trial and they have the joy of the Lord upon them. But more remarkable is this, THAT THEY SHARE THAT JOY WITH OTHERS! We tend to hold people like this in high regards; as we should, after all they are witnessing to us the perfect love of Jesus. Despite hanging on the cross. Despite the torment and disrespect. Despite all of it, Jesus still asked His heavenly Father to forgive those that were treating Him unfairly.
    When we suffer wrongs and count it as blessings and share those blessings with others; we are sharing the perfect love of Jesus. Then will we be, “poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith,” This is what it means to be a blessing to others in spite of your conditions.

As I sat here this morning typing this out a red cardinal came an perched itself upon a branch outside my window and stared in at me (or so it seemed, maybe it was only looking at its own reflection) I am reminded that God takes care of all that bird’s needs. I am also reminded that there is no clothing that could compare to the splendor of that birds feathering; the “clothing” that God gave it. Why do we worry so much when God clearly has it all figured out. We just keep getting in the way with our rationalizing everything. The beauty of this bird gave me joy and I wanted to share it with you. Wish I had my camera handy so I could have taken a picture of it. Have a blessed day. (This piece was written about 7 years ago and I edited it this morning.)

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True Contentment Part 2

English: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

English: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

True Contentment Part 2

 

Philippians 3:7-17
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss, for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained it. Or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything  you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

Another key to finding “true contentment” in our lives is not focusing on the “what-ifs” in life. But rather, on the things that are “right now”. Ultimately if we focus on the “what-ifs” in life we either live in the past or we live in a fantasy of the future. Yes Paul tells us that he was reaching forward to what lies ahead, but this means that he can see past his present circumstances. This does not mean that he is focused on the what-ifs of his future. Because in V16 he states; “however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.” I think this is confirmation that we are called to live in the present.
In V8 Paul tells us that he suffered the loss of all things. In this case the word suffer means, to suffer great mental or physical pain. Losing the things we have for Jesus is not without gain however. There is much to be learned through this experience, if we allow God to show us. According to V11 that blessing is “In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Salvation, this is our reward for standing strong in the face of trials of all sorts. For it is in the deepest parts of these trials that we find God. Therein we find true contentment when we realize that He is all we need.
True contentment comes when we know that we are going to be ok if we can’t figure out our next step. We don’t have to be in control as long as we allow that control to be God’s. I want to be content. Truly content and I know that the only way that I can truly ever be content is to follow the examples that Jesus Himself left for us; either through Jesus Himself, or through His disciples. He gave us all that we need to understand how to be successful in our walk, the BIBLE. Not success as the world sees success, but success as God sees it. To be able to stand before Him one day and hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant.” To me that is the ultimate goal. Let’s not lose heart in this crazy rat race we call life; remember that this is not our home. We are just visitors waiting for the Lord to call us home. What a glorious day that will be! So till then, keep fighting the good fight and don’t lose heart!

 

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