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Monthly Archives: July 2012

Spiritual rest at your fingertips…sorta

03 Jul

Spiritual rest at your fingertips…sorta

Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

The writer of Hebrews is speaking of how a generation of Israel had missed finding rest in the Promise Land due to their unbelief. Their unbelief is so hard for me to grasp when He had provided for them for 40 years, but an entire generation missed the opportunity. But what is this Spiritual Rest found in God? Matthew Henry puts it well. “He specifies this, that we have a promise left us of entering into his rest; that is, of entering into a covenant-relation to Christ, and a state of communion with God through Christ, and of growing up therein, till we are made perfect in glory. We have discoveries of this rest, and proposals, and the best directions how we may attain unto it. This promise of spiritual rest is a promise left us by the Lord Jesus Christ in his last will and testament, as a precious legacy.”

When you hear the Good News, does it stir your heart, or do you deny it? 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. A hard heart, a heart full of pride, will not allow you to enter that rest. You will remain away from God and all the anxieties that this life brings with it. There is a peace with God you will never understand until you accept the Good News. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. You have the ability for finding a peace in an out of control world at your fingertips, by reaching out with your heart.

 
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Posted by on July 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let’s talk God

02 Jul

Let’s talk God.

 
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Posted by on July 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Let’s talk God

02 Jul

Let’s talk God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I was thinking this morning while I was praying about a ‘little thing’; and of how lucky I was on ‘big things’. I have even found myself praying over service calls more this past week due to the extreme heat and even some nightmare calls. Yes, I do pray over air conditioners for God to help me have the ability to fix them, and to provide comfort to those in need. I ask God for guidance in so many areas of my daily walk seeking His Will.

So many times we only go to God with our pleas and not our gratitude. Does God go, “I wonder what they want this time” when you pray? Is that the only time you go to Him in prayer? He knows what you want before you ask it, but think of the joy He has when you don’t ask for, but pray a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude. He gave you the very breath of life, and the breath to pray. 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. There is much in that verse, for wherever we are in our lives, God has designed or allowed it. All of it can be used to draw you closer to Him, and to glorify Him as a result of where you are today.

17 pray without ceasing. Does this mean to stop your car, to bow your head at work, or to do nothing else but meditate? No; the Apostle Paul is trying to convey to be persistent and consistent in your prayer. A person who is abiding in Christ will be a person who is not afraid to pray at any time about any thing. The closer your relationship grows to God, the more you will be drawn to talk to Him. You will gain a respect and an ability to open the lines of communication with the One whom created you. How will you ever get to know anybody better if you don’t first talk to them? Start today by giving thanks for the breath He gave you today.

 
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Posted by on July 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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BC – AC

01 Jul

BC – AC

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

I ended up in Ephesians 4 this morning, and so much of it speaks of the new person and our change once we accept Christ. There is a true “BC” – Before Christ. There is also an “AC” After Christ in your life’s timeline. There is that point in history when your life changes forever, and the pursuit and the lens which you see this life is forever altered. As Dr. Ed Gravely puts it so well, you begin to see life through the “lens of the gospel”. We begin to feel conviction of the old habits that are still there. The Spirit begins to show us where our faults lie, and gives us the power through God’s grace to help us change our ways. This process is called Sanctification.

Sanctification is a process, not immediate, but continual throughout your life. 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. It is the  work of God in your life to mold you into a better person, a person closer to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Sanctification is spoken of twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. This was always a huge struggle for me and in today’s society it is a large struggle for many. But Sanctification is not only in related to sex, but our speech, actions, and thoughts on a daily basis. When God begins to stir in your soul, it is His way of working through the sin in your life, through the conviction of that sin. The Spirit is strong enough to change you like you can’t, if you let Him.

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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