Your Challenge... In His Word 11-16-2020

 

Your Challenge.. In His Word 11-16-2020

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to walk in the Spirit in this year, in this lifetime, in this day of unbelievable odds.

Walk in the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and walk in peace.

To walk in the spirit means to live a life according to the Word of God, but to live accordingly we must know the Word, our Bibles. To know the Word of God we must read the Word and pray.

 

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 [a]thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:1-3

 

We pray first because God wants to communicate His word with us, and He wants us to understand the Word of God, obvious to some may not be obvious to others.  If we pray first, then we can be putting aside the things that hinder us.

 

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?  It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. Ephesians 5:7-8

 

We all have the Holy Spirit within us to enlighten or heighten our knowledge of what we read, but unless we pick it up and open the book then pay attention and focus on what we are reading its not going to get in our head. If it does not get in our head, it will not influence our heart, our soul and our lives.

Romans Chapter 8:9-11 says, 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.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Study it out! Study to show yourself how to live approved by God and stop trying to live your life approved by man.  What is more important? Approval of God, or man?

 

God, -- peace, hope, love unconditionally, eternal life, direction, good things happen when we follow His directions, for all things work together for the good of the called… we are the called according to His purpose. (

 

Man’s approval—temporary, no peace, just stressed out trying to keep up with everything that they are doing, or what you think they are looking for in a friend, or in a situation, it’s a totally long process trying to please man, take it from me, a people pleaser!

 

I have tried to keep the peace in my family, I tried to keep the peace in my life around me, and often times it made me  so overwhelmingly upset because all the work I try to did to appease people, and do what they want me to do. Inevitably, I get tattered and torn, like an old sweatshirt that you have warn because it feels comfy, but it does not keep you warm anymore. It’s so thin that holes are showing up, you try to patch it but its just not the same and you really cannot use it. Sometimes you want to but are afraid to toss it because its your feel-good sweatshirt. You have memories of it being good. I am telling you that influence must go!

 

That sweatshirt may have kept you warm in the past , just as that influence you have to be perfect, or rowdy like your friends or dark because they are dark, it has to go!

 

You need to find the focus in the Word that God has for you! You need to keep your mind on things above and not on the earthly things that draw you away from your commitment to follow after Him.

The enemy will do what he can to threaten your resolve, he wants you to fail, but if  you keep in focus to walking in the Spirit, He will remind  you of the scriptures when you need encouragement. In a sense, like a new sweatshirt, God will keep you warm!  He will give you a new garment of praise! A new sweatshirt is all soft and comfy!  The perfect fit!

When we get a new sweatshirt, we do not settle for one that is too big or too small, but one that is just the right fit!

God is the right fit!

 

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:25-32

 

All of this is walking in the Spirit.

Getting rid of the things that hold you back, stepping into the things that give you joy, peace, hope, and a good direction to follow.

All of this comes from piling in the words from the Word of God. The Bible is the same book people have been reading for generations, it is the best seller of all times, and it’s God breathed! God inspired.

To walk in the spirit, is to walk accountable to God, doing what is right in His eyes and not our own.

For I am not my own I was bought with a price, I was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ… the song rings true!

 

Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. Colossians 2:14-16

God’s approval comes when we walk in His Spirit.

His approval is the reward for a challenge well met! You can do this!

Get in the Word today, study to show Him you can do it. Then as you read pray asking God to show you the lesson you need to receive from it, or to reveal the personal connection or answer He has given you in this. Then walk in it.

 

Heavenly Father, give us the words to live by from Your Word, the Bible. Help us to live it as we walk in Your Spirit… in Jesus’ name Amen.

Read some more?

Romans 8: 1-39, Ephesians 4: 1-32, and 1 Peter 2:1-25

Listen up, Act right, Do the thing! – In His Word 9-7-2020

Listen up, Act right, Do the thing! – In His Word 9-7-2020 

 

Throughout the history of Israel God the Father has tried and tried again to get the people who He called by His name to obey Him, to give Him honor and glory where He deserved it and to worship Him only.
His people continued to try to do things on their own, again and again they failed because after all God was God and without Him they had no chance to stand.

Today we Christians consider ourselves also God’s people and yet we too tend to try to do things on our own. Let me tell you something, it did not go well with Israel or Judah when they ignored God and tried to fix things on their own.

Now today we stand on a promise that calls us to humble ourselves and call on His name, the Name of Jesus to ask Him to heal our land. We are doing this daily during this time of separation from one another. We pray asking God to heal the lands, to heal the world, to fix the sick and strengthen the healthy and we ask Him to fix it mean while we try to do it our own way too.

When I read through these chapters, in Hosea and in Jeremiah I see a sad God who wants to help but the people keep looking to their ‘gods’ or their own way to fix the problems they have created. God wants to help us today, but He wants us to give Him the glory where glory is due. He wants us to walk the walk He put before us and follow His commands and directions as He sees fit for us to do them. Then when we are obedient to Him, then He will be able to heal our land.

“But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates. They will destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me.

 “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you… Hosea 11:5-9 

Look around you. Do you see people who are seeking God? Out side of your family, or prayer groups, do you see people praying for God to heal the land? Do you think they even know they are being warned? Do you think they know that this day, now is the time, to come to Jesus and follow after Him? Have you told them? Have I?

“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’” But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”

Jeremiah 18:11-12 NLT

Don’t be like that!

It is time for us to tell the world that Jesus is Lord, it is time for us to share His love, compassion, and kindness. Moreover, it is time for us to warn them that the time is coming and for some may be today that Jesus is calling them to stand before them. Our job is to tell them that Jesus loves them and wants them to be saved, He longs for them to be a part of His family. One way we can do this is to help one another out. We can feed the hungry, we can give a light to someone who has not electricity. We can invite people to share a meal or share a truth with them, or both! We can ask for something to pray with them about and then pray with them right then, instead of saying the common “I’ll be praying for you” and going on our way. Let’s face it, the chance is that we will forget to pray for them if we do not do it right then. Then again, if we stop and pray with them right there, we will touch their lives with the words we use, we will instruct them in righteousness and guide them in how to talk to God.

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Ephesians 6:2-4

Some of us feel as if we have not the words to say when we want to pray with someone, but when you pray God will hear your heart, He will reveal what to pray that will help that person with your words. It’s funny how that works, because when we pray aloud with one or two people we know that Jesus is right there, but we don’t think about the fact that He is there to minister to the person we pray for and to us as well. He will grow our boldness the more we open our mouth to share, He will grow us closer to Him with every cry of our heart.  He longs to spend time with us, enough that He kept Israel alive even when He was so hurt by them. He loves us the same today, so let’s bring others to Him that they can find His love, and allow Him to take their burdens as well.

How do we do this?

-        We share the love of God first, then the Word second.

-        We feed their souls and remove their burdens in prayer.

-        We walk them to the gates to the path of Righteousness by introducing them to Jesus.

-        Then we thank God with them for the new beginning they will have in life.

-        Make connections for them, that they may grow Christ and move forward in a healthy life with Him.

-        Give God the glory because it was not about you, but about Him and His kingdom. 

Heavenly Father, help us to share your love, and give You the glory for all that we can do for them. It is not for us but that we help one another but for You and the Kingdom of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suggested reading: 6:1-18, Hosea 11:1-12 and Jeremiah 18:1-23

Looking back on Changes- In His Word 8-31-2020

 As the new school system is starting for 2020 I looked back on this appropriate time of year post from  2016. So many changes we have been through this year, our lives will never be exactly the same but new things will happen for a good reason! God will bring good from our sad times, and He will bring good from this year we have done much waiting, some suffering and a lot of growing, in His Word!  

Making New Things Good In His Word-8-29-16

As my youngest goes away to University this fall I find I do not like the changes that God has given me, it is hard to acknowledge the time of growing my children and training them up is gone; but I know that I must accept them and walk in His path for me.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:4-5

Changes; they are not all bad, but it is often hard for us to accept that change must come. Some things are easy to change; new clothes, shoes, cars. Other things mean a whole new start and it is not always to change up what we were into, or what we were doing and start with a new plan.

That is just what God is in the business of doing with people; from Adam to Moses, there is proof of His making change, and from then on there are too many to number! Whoever said that God does not change His mind or plans is not reading my Bible!

He is a God of compassion and because of this He has taken upon Himself to move people to produce submission in their hearts toward Him.

I mean this wholeheartedly my God has changed things as powerful as allowing His chosen anointed king to be captured along with the rest of the people to prove the point of their need to obey Him; He has also done as small a change as having compassion and allowing people to continue walking their path just with a slight alteration because they have shown repentance toward Him.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

So why do people buck change? Change is good! It just sometimes hurts a little to be stripped away from our comfort zones and be pushed into a new zone that is really going to be better and often makes us stronger and more prosperous in our lives toward God and men. In other words; both physically and spiritually, we grow when we are processing change in our lives. That is when we allow God to direct the changes. We trust Him to know what they are doing, what they need, and where they will go. They must walk in their consequences. 

What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord,
 who do their evil deeds in the dark!“ The Lord can’t see us,” they say.

“He doesn’t know what’s going on!” How foolish can you be?  He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? Isaiah 29:16-17a

When God brings change into our lives we need to embrace the change; trust Him to guide us and follow His direction.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

Why do we dislike change so much? I believe it is because we are set in our ways, we like to keep the control in our lives and when things change it means we are no longer the one in charge. Take for instance the growth of our children to the point of adulthood. We train up our children in the way they should go but when its time for them to do just that, ‘go’ we do not want to let them go off on their own and make their own minds up about things. We have to allow them to be their own selves and yet we want to tell them what to do at every turn. It is time for us to stop being God. Ouch, did I say that? Well yes, it is a god complex that sees another one I guess. I have a habit of trying to make the lives of my family walk the way I want them to walk, talk the way I want them to talk and think the way that I want them to think; but God has them in His hands and He is in control, not me. Once I realize and accept that God has their best interest in mind and remember that my husband and I have truly trained them up in the way they should go, then I can pretty must rest knowing He will never leave them nor forsake them.

So even though their change is to make their own choices now, my change is to pray that they keep focused on Him.

He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. Trust God and He will direct your path; their part is to trust Him to direct them not me.

As the school year starts and your kids begin to learn anew thing, the time has come for us parents, aunts and uncles or grandparents to trust that we have a God who will go with our kids to classes. What we can do now is change our position from the one who walks with them telling them what to do to the one who encourages them with little notes of faith and love and hope to find in pockets and back packs and cars, or emails and texts. Though they may fuss about them I assure you they will get the words in their hearts and minds and know that God and you love them.

 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 5:11

It may be time for us to put away childish things, games and bubble gum are traded for cars and jobs; when we grow we have to let go of the past and move on to what is in front of us that we may be strong in His power and might.

 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. ¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:14-16

It is my prayer today that each of us, both parent, or non parent, child or adult will truly work together with God keeping our minds and hearts geared to here what He has to say to us each day; when there is change or when things stay the same; that we put our trust, hope and love in Him and His direct line of path to walk. We need to let the new beginnings come in our lives that we may walk in the promise land, and enjoy it goodness! If Israel had not left Egypt they would never have found the milk and honey!

Dear Heavenly father, help us to embrace the change as You bring it into our lives and to walk gracefully in the path You have put before us no matter how far off of the one we thought you were putting there. Help us to know Your voice  and follow it, as we are your sheep. Keep us obediently humble,In Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading: Ephesians 4:1-32, Colossians 3:1-25, Isaiah 30:1-30, and John 13:1-38.

Prepared In His Word- 6-10-13

Prepared In His Word

Are you ready? Are you prepped and geared up for what's ahead? Are you prepared for what God has for you to do? Do not worry today for He will prepare the way for you!

Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer to when they say, “ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.' “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none Is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! Matthew 11:9-11

Sometimes we are looking in the wrong place for the answer we seek. The people of Israel, including the Priests and Levites

  were not looking among the average person for the Messiah, yet that is where He came. He came out of a family of carpenters, hand laborers and yet He was, and is the King of kings! They were not prepared for what He had for them, many learned to accept His Word and many chose to ignore it an died in their sins.

Some people will get saved, they will get all excited and run off to tell the world who Jesus is without being prepared to defend what they believe. They are like a soldier going out to battle without his ammunition. Without the bullets the weapon is useless.

Without the preparation in the Word of God witnessing is wimpy at best. If we cannot use the Bible to show, or tell others the reality of who God is then we are not prepared.

My Bible tells me to put on the armor of God, with good reason.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

When we go out to share the Gospel Message, or just to tell someone what God is doing in our lives we need to be prepared with the knowledge or Whom it is we are talking about!

This is a good reason to read the Word daily if nothing else; to be prepared.

God is good! He knew we would come into a world that was full of confusing and misunderstandings and so He gave us a manual of design. He gave us the Word of God to follow as an example for our lives but also to know who He is. It is a History book, and a future book, it is a diary of God's early doings as written through people whom He shared His heart's desires.

He prepares His people for battle, but it is up to us to prepare our lives for His direction. We must be obedient to His Word, to read it daily we can know just what to do. We must keep the oil in our lamps burning! Fresh oil from the throne comes to us through prayer and the Word of God!

I desire to dig in the Word each day and find what God has for me, I want to be ready when the Bridegroom comes!

“At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' all the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others. 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' Matthew 29:6-8

God has prepared a place for us. He knows how much room we need and He has more than enough room. He has prepared the Bible to fill our hearts and minds with His love, His guidance and His understanding. He has prepared to spend time with us daily; have we shown up ready?

God waits to hear our voice in the morning, through out the day He walks with us and talks to us, He would love to have us respond in kind. He tells us not to have fear of His directions, that we can trust Him.

“Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 24”1-3“

Even when He had to leave his closest earthly 'life group' Jesus told them to trust God, the Father, and to trust Him as they are one and the same. He told them He would go and prepare for them to join Him in heaven. He does the same for us, each of us who believe, who trust in Him to do as He has promised.

Some ways we can prepare ourselves for the day we join Him are;

• Put on your Helmet--Open up your heart to Him. He wants to be your forever friend. When you allow Jesus to become part of your life and you accept that Christ is real, and that He wants to be your Lord you begin to get prepared.
• Buckle your Belt--When you accept that the Word of God is God breathed, inspired, and encouraged to be written in such a manner as to cause spiritual growth and understanding of God and His ways, then your preparation is taking on life.
• Strap on your Sword--When you pray, and read your Bible daily you gain the strength that only the Holy Spirit can give. It is a supernatural strength to stand, to step forward in ministry even when your physical world is spinning around you. Even when loved ones go on to be with Him you can step out, and step up to the task that He has given you when your prayer life, and your reading is up to date!
• Step into the Shoes- If you are prepared with the Word that you study to show yourselves approved and ready to go into battle knowing the Gospel! Now you are ready to step out in faith and share what He has given you!

When we prepare our hearts and minds in the Word daily, more often as we hear Him calling, and add to that reading praying and communicating with Him; then we will be ready!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us all we need and what to do with it. Thank you for your handbook, your instruction manual, your map of life! Thank you for Your Words! Grant us understanding today beyond what we know that we may step out in faith knowing that we have hidden your words in our heart. In Jesus name, amen.

Suggested readings: Ephesians 6:1-24, Colossians 1;1-29 Philippians 2:-1-24, and Philippians 4:1-24