RSS

Tag Archives: spirituality

Romans 12 Lifestyle

03 Sep

Romans 12 Lifestyle

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This scripture is a simple sentence in a powerful closing statement to the passage of Romans 12. This passage of scripture is the insight to how to live life as a Christian. Of how to go against the grain of the world and live your life as a disciple of Christ. The opening statement in Paul’s letter is, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1,2) To present yourselves as a LIVING sacrifice to God. To seek the will of God in your heart, mind, body, and soul. To pursue him with a heart that sees only the things of Him, and to seek to be obedient to what we see from Him.

When life reaches out and grabs us with its struggles, and it will,  remember Romans 12. That passage is a place to return to for God’s words on how to live your life as a Christian. It speaks of the struggles of life; of the different spiritual gifts we possess, and how to use those gifts for the glory of God. We must understand that their is strength in the light of God that we possess. We are told in Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. The more time you spend in God’s Word and seeking Him in prayer, the more light He places in you to defend yourself from the darkness. 1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Romans 12 is the “self help guide” to keep for quick reference. It would be a great place to start your own Bible study; a place for you to dig deeper into God’s Word. A place for God to reveal much more of Himself and yourself in those scriptures. As you spend more than a few minutes reading through the passage, you are showing God your desire for Him. He will reward you with a heart that sees more of Him in the scriptures. He will meet you there and your life will never be the same for when you find those encouraging words at just the right time; at some point you realize it is a word directly from God; and you get it.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

What if tomorrow never comes?

29 Aug

What if tomorrow never comes?

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

There is a part of my morning prayer that is habitual. I always thank God for the breath of life to serve Him another day in some context. I consistently give thanks for the day, for I am not guaranteed the day. I frequently thank Him for the changed heart and the grace He gave me in changing my life. I was someone as the apostle Paul put it, “chief of sinners”. A prideful, sinful, shameful, man in pursuit of everything for me, and anything but God. God pursued me anyway, and I am thankful for every day He gives me now to share my faith with others.

It seems that tragic deaths have filled the air over recent weeks. We simply cannot make plans for our future, for our future is in God’s hands. I remember even telling my parents many times I would get right with God when I was ready. I wonder how many of us have lived on that imaginary false timetable? James speaks directly to our pride of life, and our pride of selfish plans for an unknown future. James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

You say I will ______________ tomorrow………….but tomorrow never comes. What in the blank is left undone? A task; a conversation; an apology; your eternity? Many times we want to live for this world and grab all the things of this world; then in our minds we plan to “settle down” into a life of Christianity. Settling down into a life concentrating on serving God is a life that is planning for a promised future from One who holds the future in His hands. Life’s timeline here in the temporal will only matter for how you can serve Him. When this timeline ends, infinity begins. Make today the day you realize that Christ paved the way for your forgiveness and eternal paradise with Him. It is never too late; until it is.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

You can do it

27 Aug

You can do it

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4   We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

I love how God works. The more time I spend with God, the more He reveals Himself to me each day in different ways throughout the day. This is not any special gift for me, but a realization that He gives to anyone who seeks Him daily. I am nothing, nor do anything special, that is not available to any one of you. All it takes is a heart for God and the things of God, that seeks God first in all things. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. This pursuit will lead to a growth of the relationship that you were created for by Him. The heart is changed in relation to this time, and the soul is fed in this pursuit. They together are where you are changed from the inside out.

God loves you and created you for that relationship. You are unique and special in His eyes, so much so His Son sacrificed His life to reconcile your sin before God. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. God is calling you to live outside of this world; to live for Him focused on the eternal and not the temporary. A heart that pursues God daily is a heart transformed as in Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Make today the day you start your “labor of love” in your pursuit of God and the things of God. You will begin to see He has been with you all along, and now He begins to reveal Himself to you through other believers, His Word, messages, “coincidences”, books, and media. You will not find Him if you surround yourself with unbelievers, or fill your mind with worldly media. He is not of this world and this world seeks to dull your senses to Him. But He has given you the ability to hear as Elijah did that “still small voice”.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Not multi-tasking

24 Aug

Not multi-tasking

Colossians 3:2   Set your mind on the things above, not on things on the earth.

Where is your minds set to? Is it like mine and seems to constantly being re-adjusted to focus on another tasks outside the primary tasks at hand? I am very self motivated and it seems the older I get the less I desire to multi-task. I seem to have the desire to do only one thing at a time as well as I possibly can. But those distractions come every time to draw my attention away.

Colossians is where the apostle Paul was dealing with many problems in the church. False teaching was distracting from Christ’s deity, and Paul was warning them of their error. Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Paul knew the followers of Christ were becoming distracted from the messages of Grace; and they were led astray by false teachers in the early church. Paul spends much of this epistle pointing to whom Christ is, and how our lives should be focused on Him.

The entire 3rd chapter of Colossians is the application of living for Christ. Of a mind that is focused on the things above, and not the lusts of this world. Of a life before Christ and the death of that life. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. There is an ‘BC (before Christ) and an AD(after death) in the timeline of your life. When you heed God’s call on your life, and accept the free gift of Grace He offers through Christ; your life before that moment in time dies. The life after that mark should be a life focused on serving Him with a heart of thanksgiving for what He has done for you. That focus should not be distracted by the things of this world, but focused on eternity and the things above. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. This is the life of a disciple; one that is focused on Christ, and the things above.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Arrrrrrggggggg

22 Aug

Arrrrrrggggggg

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.

Some days our minds get the best of us. The weights of our world play out scenarios between our ears that will consume our day. It seems that no matter what we do, the battle continues and many time escalates. When I have days like that I just want to scream STOP! It is an inner battlefield, and our outer actions may only temporarily distract from the war in our heads. I am always quoting “a lot on my mind”, and many times that may be a huge understatement. Yesterday was one of them.

Stress and anxiety, are rooted in fear and fear is straight from Satan. Our world is full of stress, and it is a powerful tool of Satan to keep our eyes off God. On days like yesterday I want to cry out to God to make it stop. I found that encouragement studying this scripture this morning. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Instead of screaming “Arrrrrggggg” or worse, go to your Father in prayer for strength, guidance, and thanksgiving for whatever the battle may be. Where Satan may be trying to draw your attention away, turn your attention to God. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I sometimes wish I could open the doors to my inner battlefield to let you in. But my struggles are no worse than yours, and I pray that my willingness to put them on paper will encourage you to seek God for help too. I had never battled anxiety until these recent years. I have labeled it my “thorn in the flesh to torment me” as the Apostle Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians. There is a power and peace that comes through taking this battle to God’s Word. Spending time there is like gathering your heavenly army to fight a defeated foe. When you struggle, and I know you do, lean on God and the promises He gives us in His Word. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 22, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags:

Will ya?

19 Aug

Will ya?

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

I cannot accurately tell you the peace I have in this chair early every morning. Of how God meets me here, and we spend time together in His Word and in prayer. Of how He never fails me, always there waiting on me to draw near to Him. I can tell you the days I miss it, are incomplete. That word is a very simple summary; somethings missing and I feel it all day. We just returned from a great vacation, but this time was sporadic, and the enemy took every opportunity to make it difficult, or even almost impossible to be honest. I felt the world creeping in.

I bet you have a daily routine. The alarm clock,  breakfast, and most likely the news in some way. Out the door to face the world you go with all the pain of society placed in your mind first by either the newspaper or a local media. Your mind has been dulled to the things of God in less than an hour from getting out of bed. Christ spoke of this in His ministry fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah. Matthew 13:15 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.’  Christ is speaking of those who cannot hear Him due to their attention to things of this world and closing their minds to the things of God. Matthew Henry says of that heart; “denotes sensuality and senselessness.”

Would you pursue a routine, that will become a habit, that will move to a labor of love? Will you make the conscious effort to pray for the strength to change how you start your day? That change will be more than just the removal of the evil, but the injection of the love in it’s place. The time spent with God alone first thing every day will give you a different outlook on the day, and an awareness of Him around you that you have never noticed before. God has given you free will. What will you do with it? “Seek Ye first the kingdom of God…..” Matthew 6:33

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 19, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Can’t find the words

10 Aug

Can’t find the words

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

I overslept this morning. As usual my mind starts to hammer me with the “to do” lists of the day. Of the importance of things and how it will effect the entire day. Satan loves days like this where he thinks he can grab ahold and run with it, keeping your focus from God. If you let him, he will, and your day will go downhill most likely from there. Stop and take time to pray, and hopefully get into the word for if nothing else, a daily scripture to focus and hang onto when Satan attacks.

As I began to pray, those thoughts flooded, and I struggled with prayer. I have always struggled with praying for myself, and I rely on knowing there are those close to me that are speaking my name before our Lord. Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. There is strength that lies in being open with a circle of brothers and sisters in Christ that pray for each other. We all have our struggles, and sharing those struggles of life is a way you feel God work in your life, knowing you have people praying for you. Christianity is not a solo sport, it is a way to do life together, with prayer for each other a central theme.

In most all of the apostle Paul’s letters, he began them by letting the recipient know that he had been praying for them. This is always a huge encouragement to them. The greatest encourager is Christ’s Spirit living inside of you, interceding for you in prayer before God as in Romans 8:26 above. There is a divine communication existing in a realm you cannot see between the Father and the Spirit inside of you. Romans 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. On those days when you just can’t seem to pray, make it a simple pray of thanksgiving. You can be thankful for the Spirit that is taking care of it for you, and hopefully those brothers and sisters you have confided in are petitioning God on your behalf.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Do you hear Him?

09 Aug

Do you hear Him?

Romans 8:23-25   Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

In my study of abiding in Christ, or remaining in Christ, so much has come of the desire that longs within us. A person who abides is a person who is keen to that voice inside of them, guiding them along the path of life. It is a person who sometimes seems to go against the grain, away from the crowd, but yet seems fulfilled and content because they are with Christ there. When we are saved we are given a gift from God by the Holy Spirit that comes to dwell inside us. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. This gift brings a change of consciousness, a view in a different light from what the world sees. It is that lifting of the burden of sin from our souls and the guidance He provides for our remaining time here. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The Holy Spirit also brings a hope that the world cannot steal away. You can grieve the Spirit by trying to silence His voice inside you, and your hope will dwindle. The more keen you are to His voice, the greater your hope becomes. Hope and faith are entwined together and strengthen each other. As a person who seeks God and the things of God, the Spirit becomes more active in their lives. His guidance becomes clearer and their obedience becomes natural. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Start to spend some time seeking God in prayer about becoming obedient to the workings of the Spirit inside of you. That obedience is the path of righteousness, and that path leads you closer to God, and the things of God. You only get there by a constant pursuit, not grieving the Spirit by remaining still. Your relationship should always move forward, and the hope that lies within you is urging you in that pursuit.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Mountaintops

01 Aug

Mountaintops

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

What is the mountains that lies before you? What are you facing that may be life changing? It could be relationships, careers, financial, physical, or any number of things. It is a big thing no matter what, that can change the game of life. Mine currently falls into the career and financial arena. These types of struggles are full of emotion and fears, and they can either drive us away from God, or draw us to God. Satan wants to drag us down with those fears, and God wants to pull us in for comfort. He has allowed and can work any situation in your life for good, and will comfort you in all of it. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

You hear the testimonies of people that go through great trials of life that the only thing that got them through it was their faith. These are consistently their stories. It is never one of self, but of the power of God and prayer. The worry that comes is part of the trial, for it is the hook that Satan casts. But the peace of God found during this times in prayer and His Word allows you pass by Satan’s bait if you focus on the things of God and not the problem. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.

Most likely you have heard the phrase, “What is bigger? Your problem or your God?” In the middle of all the strain, all the climbing of the mountain that lies before us, God is reaching down the mountain to pull us up to Him. If we keep looking at the size of the mountain, we will never see the glory at it’s peak. At the top is not the peak of the problem, but the victory in reaching it’s peak and the glory of our relationship with God at the top. When you are facing these great things, in what seems to be the worst, or the peak, you are the closest to God.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Missed it

29 Jul

Missed it

Luke 11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread.

The past 48hrs have been a blur filled with quality family time on a quick road trip and packing in a lot in a short amount of time. I knew going into this I was not going to be able to have my alone time with God, or to write every morning like I do. I was ok with that. But yet as the day wore on I craved what I had missed out on.

If I can share one word of encouragement to anyone outside of Salvation, it would be to follow Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. It is such a large part of my testimony and where God really began to open my eyes and my heart. If you have all the worries of changing or understanding the things of God, if you will first seek God on a daily basis, all of these things shall be opened to you also. Seeking God on a daily basis is where you begin to experience true change in your life after Salvation.

Do you want to change? Do you really expect God to reveal great things to you with little effort? Start making a change tomorrow by spending some time alone with God in prayer and His word. I know I am looking forward to.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →