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Monthly Archives: April 2012

What size is your faith?

30 Apr

What size is your faith?

Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

This morning the word Faith was heavy on my mind. We had a kids production at church last night founded on the faith of Abraham, the patriarch of great faith. What is the definition of faith? “Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true. Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust.” Faith is at the core of any belief, yet faith in Christ as the Risen Savior and Redeemer is essential in the Christian faith along with the understanding that God is in control. Abraham was told to simply “GO” and he had the faith to follow God’s direction. His blessing and descendants have outnumbered the stars as a result of his great faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

You are what you believe. You are defined by what you place your faith in. Where your faith resides will shape many of the decisions you make every day and your thoughts for the next. If you place your faith in yourself and believe that you can do all things, pride will destroy you for an eternity. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Faith is the realization that you are not in control, therefore God is, and the faith and peace that come from that realization is where you can reside. Great faith comes with a peace that surpasses worldly comprehension, and the world will challenge your faith. The greater the challenge, the greater your faith, the greater your God. Let go and let God grow your faith that has come as a result of accepting the gifts of Grace He has given, and will continue to provide in the means He designs.

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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PFY

29 Apr

PFY

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

PFY – Prayed For You. This is an acronym some of those close to me use to let each other know we have been lifting up them in prayer. A simple text most of the time that assures them we have been praying for them. When we confide in each other of our struggles, it is always reassuring to know that others are praying for us. To be perfectly honest I love praying for others, but struggle in prayer for myself. It is very reassuring to me to know that they have my struggles covered in prayer.

In this scripture Paul is struggling with the Philippians with many things including pride and humility. Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Paul was trying to assure unity in the church, and not allowing pride to creep in. He uses Christ as the pinnacle of humility in Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. The next time you start to pray for something you are struggling with, pray for someone else who is struggling. Lift them up in prayer, send them a PFY, and that not only will encourage them, they will most likely Pray For You.

 
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Posted by on April 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Heart or Ears?

28 Apr

Heart or Ears?

Matthew 13:14-15 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

Everybody wants to hear God speak. We all want an audible voice and to know it was God. I think if we heard that audible voice, our ears He designed couldn’t handle it. It takes filtering it through our heart to hear the voice of God, but you can hear Him through your heart. We all have those “gut” feelings that many times inside us are God, yet many times we choose to ignore or suppress them for many reasons. But when you are feeling those tugs of curiosity and desire, that is God pursuing you; do not deny Him. You must humble yourself and accept Him before you will ever hear him. He is preparing your heart as in Psalm 10:17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear. Denying those inclinations you are feeling will have eternal consequences.

Many times someone that is “lost” will open their Bible from curiosity and try to understand. But a key to understanding the Bible is the power of the Spirit who brings to light the Word of God. When Christ returned to Heaven, His Spirit became available to dwell within us. Acts 2:32-33 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. The Holy Spirit is the key to hearing God’s voice, and that all begins with the acceptance of Him into your heart upon the repentance of sin, and the gift of Salvation. You can’t hear God, until you accept Christ. You then may hear God as you hear nothing else in this world; for He is not of this world. He speaks not through your ears, but through your heart in a way that will bring you peace, comfort, and understanding upon the pursuit of a daily relationship with Him.

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Strength in humility

27 Apr

Strength in humility

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It is always good to share; to unload your burdens on a willing ear. As men we are wired prideful and feel as through we can handle all these burdens on our own. We feel as though we must be the “strong one”, and pride is the spine of that emotion. We tend to keep things bottled up and find ways to handle the stresses of life our own ways.  These paths can take us down dark downhill roads of sin.  These lead us away from Christ and pride becomes that enabler for that journey. But before we head down those paths, we can cast our cares upon Him as in Matthew above. We can swallow that pride and as in James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. This step of humility is the beginning of change and healing.

When you realize your sin, and take your sin to Him in the plea of forgiveness, the Salvation that follows is a releasing of those burdens. You truly now have Christ living within you, and the strength and provisions that come with that are the power of the Holy Spirit, the “Enabler”. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. We can begin to press that manly pride down through the strength that Christ brings to fight the demon of pride. Pride is straight from Hell, and it takes the power of Heaven to fight that enemy that lies within you. You can have that power living in you upon Salvation and accepting Christ as the only way. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Thank you Jesus!

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Humble 106 – Pride 12 (Pride looses the game)

26 Apr

Humble 106 – Pride 12 (Pride looses the game)

1 Peter 5:5-7 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

This morning I feel at ease as a result of finishing the updating of my testimony yesterday, and a good nights rest. I ask for your prayers as I deliver it tonight at Celebrate Recovery at my church. I have been forgiven and delivered from so much in my life by the grace of God. I have so much to be thankful for. I found myself in prayer this morning just wrapped up in Thanksgiving to God for where He has let me go, delivered me from, forgiven me for, and brought me to in my life. As I moved to my bible this morning I saw this scripture above highlighted on the coming pages, ahead of where I was going to be today in my study of 1 Peter. What a summary of my life and pride.

God has let me think for years I could do it my way. He has watched me rebel, watched me think I was in control, and that I could do all things and on my timetable. I was always of that independent stubborn mindset that I could do all things, but somewhere along the way my heart realized my sin, and my heart realized His love for me. The byproduct of the realization of God’s love for you and the sacrifice of His Son for your sin will humble you. Satan will try to convince you otherwise, that your good works will save you, but humility will allow you to realize you can never achieve Salvation yourself. James 4:6-8 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Pride is the root of all sin, and pride is directly from Satan. Humble yourself and rest in the assurance that Satan is a defeated foe, and the power that you reside in is from God and not of yourself.

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Seeking help

25 Apr

Seeking help

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

I feel like the seat here is still warm from pulling a very late night working on updating my testimony. There are three main points to it, and one is a battle that only surfaced the last 5 or 6 years – anxiety. Anxiety is a very elevated state of worry and there are many levels of this problem as most. It is a hidden disease that many do not confess from shame, but part of the healing is seeking help, for you cannot do it alone. I have chosen to seek my help from God. In the New King James version, worry and anxiety are found 12 times in the New Testament, and there is much to study surrounding those texts. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That scripture alone can bring you great peace when you meditate on it, and understand that you are not guaranteed tomorrow, so why waste today worrying about it?

All of the worries and anxieties fall under the heading of Fear. Once we understand that fear is not from God, but a weapon of Satan, we can gain strength to fight off those anxieties with the weapons God has given us in His Word and prayer. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. My pastor and I had a great talk once about anxiety and he encouraged me to spend time in the Word when those attacks come, because there is strength there. I even believe the Proverbs verse about can speak to that. Anxiety will come and you must be prepared for that battle by spending time with God in His Word. All of this training is preparation for that war that rages within. When the attacks come, you take deep breaths, slow down, and approach God. Even this is against worldly advice of warfare, but God does not operate as this world does. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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If I could only remember ……..

24 Apr

If I could only remember ……...

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

If I could only remember ……..

24 Apr

If I could only remember ……..

1 Peter 4:10-11   As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

I REALLY struggle with memory. I destroyed much of it on my own with bad choices over 20 years. My family is prone to the Alzheimer’s disease which now all the medical studies prove stress is a large accelerant of that disease and the portion of the brain which affects memory terrifies me. Let me see, what was I going to say? All this can lead to elevated anxiety levels which is my biggest struggle I face. But underneath it all is the glue that holds me together, the Peace that Christ supplies. I know that every single thing I face is an opportunity to share Christ. It may be sharing the struggles that He has allowed me to face to encourage another facing the same struggles without that Peace He provides. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I never write these reflections daily for any accolades or to draw attention to myself. I write them out of obedience to where I feel God has called me, and my hope is that they encourage you in some way through how He works in my life. Even as I enter seminary in only a few short weeks, I am struggling still with the idea of school at 44, and all the memory issues that I have described. But I rest in God’s grace and provision of the promise Christ made to His apostles and to us through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. I promise you the more time you spend with God, the more you will remember or speak His Word at the perfect time you or someone before you needs to hear it. You will wonder “where did that come from?” It came from the portion of your mind where Christ dwells and reveals Himself to you and others in God’s perfect timing. You can have it too by accepting Him, and honoring Him, by seeking Him daily.

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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My defense

23 Apr

My defense

1 Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

All of this reflecting upon my life recently in the preparation of updating my testimony, has me in a bigger picture of self analysis now. And in my time this morning I come upon the verse above – God’s perfect timing again. Why do I share with you my life, my hurts, my healing’s, my views of what God is showing me? It is for you to possess that same hope that I have in an eternal paradise with the Creator and Savior of this world. This world we live in only creates at best temporal pleasure, but assured consistent disappointments. You have a yearning inside you for a hope that is beyond this world that God placed there, but the question is what do you do with that desire? When you humble yourself and accept Christ, that hope blossoms with His Spirit living inside you. Colossians 1:5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

The Gospel of Christ is also known as the Good News. This Good News is the placing of that hope in you through the acceptance of Salvation, the free gift from God. There is nothing you can do to earn it, but you can humble yourself and accept it, and rest in that hope for your temporal time here on earth. Romans chapter 5 speaks much of that hope, and especially verse 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Faith in your God will begin to strengthen that hope daily. That faith and hope you will possess will allow you to see past the disappointments that your time here will bring to you almost daily. You will begin to see those fears that you have as attacks from Satan, and you will now possess the power through God to resist those fears that once held you. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  My defense simply put is the Peace that has come to me in a world out of control around me. A Peace that surpasses all understanding, but is available to all who accept Christ as the only way to have eternal hope. He has changed me from the inside out, as only He can. The rest of my life I hope to life as a bondservant to Him, glorifying Him as a humble gratitude for what He did for me. He saved me; He will save you. The choice is yours also.

 
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Posted by on April 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Grow w/o Food?

22 Apr

Grow w/o Food?

1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

How does anything grow? Food & water right? Taking that principle into mind, we therefore must be fed to grow closer to God. If we are desiring to live a better life, and to develop more than a surface relationship with God, then we must spend time in His Word. We cannot grow without the nourishment that the Word of God brings into our lives, and as a result of it, we will become the better person we desired to be to start with. Regeneration and Purification are brought by Christ into your life upon Salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.  

The more time you spend in God’s Word, the closer you draw to Him. The Spirit will begin to reveal and convict you of sin, and will provide the way to escape. God desires you to be like Christ, and He accomplishes this through the power of the Spirit living inside you, and the conviction and power of His Word. John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Matthew Henry states it so well in his commentary on 2 Peter, “The word of God is the great instrument of a sinner’s purification: Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth. The gospel is called truth, in opposition to types and shadows, to error and falsehood. This truth is effectual to purify the soul, if it be obeyed, Jn. 17:17 . Many hear the truth, but are never purified by it, because they will not submit to it nor obey it. The Spirit of God is the great agent in the purification of man’s soul. The Spirit convinces the soul of its impurities, furnishes those virtues and graces that both adorn and purify, such as faith (Acts. 15:9 ), hope (1 Jn. 3:3 ), the fear of God (Ps. 34:9 ), and the love of Jesus Christ. The Spirit excites our endeavours, and makes them successful.”

Your life will never be the same if you pursue God through daily time with Him and His Word. I can promise you that, for that is my testimony. It all started to change, when I started to spend time with Him every day. My “big brother” / best friend told me once, “If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting.” Try if for 30 days, and then see if you can stop feeding on the Word of God.

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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