We daily need to choose to think right things and not think wrong things.
Many believe lies Satan tells them.
Proverbs 23:7--"for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you."
Basically saying, where the mind goes, the man will follow. We become what we think. The way you talk to yourself is one of the most important things in life.
Thinking prepares you for action.
90% of what we do is oiut of our subconscious, or out of habit.
We have to learn how to think on purpose. The devil can fill your mind with wrong thoughts if you don't know how to fill your mind with God thoughts. You can cast out devil's thoughts and fill your mind with God's truth.
Your tongue is connected to your emotions. Misery is an OPTION.
Colossians 3:2--"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Philippians 4:8--"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Ephesians 4:23--"to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"
You'll do more for other people if you THINK about doing more for other people.
Romans 12:2--"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
First POWER THOUGHT:
I can do whatever I need to do in life though Christ. Philippians 4:13
You are one person you can never get away from so it is very important to have right conversations with yourself.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Humility--Part 2
Proverbs 6:16-19--16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
The Lord hates a proud look (haughty eyes)--when we overestimate ourselves and underestimate others.
Know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Quit wasting time trying to prove something you're never going to prove.
Everything doesn't have to be comfortable. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices.
**You are not FREE until you get to the point where you have nothing to prove and you are not trying to impress anybody!**
**If you know your heart and know who you are in God, you're good." :)**
2 Corinthians 1:8-9--"8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9--"7 or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
We as humans prefer to be independent and self-sufficient.
Job 10:16--"If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion
and again display your awesome power against me."
Job 33:16-17--"he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride"
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
The Lord hates a proud look (haughty eyes)--when we overestimate ourselves and underestimate others.
Know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Quit wasting time trying to prove something you're never going to prove.
Everything doesn't have to be comfortable. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices.
**You are not FREE until you get to the point where you have nothing to prove and you are not trying to impress anybody!**
**If you know your heart and know who you are in God, you're good." :)**
2 Corinthians 1:8-9--"8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9--"7 or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
We as humans prefer to be independent and self-sufficient.
Job 10:16--"If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion
and again display your awesome power against me."
Job 33:16-17--"he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride"
Humility--Part 1
All fruit of the spirit come out of LOVE and are held together by SELF-CONTROL.
Humility--probably the most difficult of the Christian virtues to truly develop. The person who doesn't think they need work on it probably needs it the most.
A humble person is really a happy person because they're not trying to impress anybody. They're not in competition or live a pretend life. They just want to be the best person they can truly be.
Matthew 11:28-30--28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We have a totally worng view of humility (or meekness). "Meek"=strength under control
Instead of paybacks, start by forgiving, praying, then blessing.
We as believer need to fight for these qualities by living them out. We live in a dark world. We can begin to drift. Be a good example to children.
Book="The Love Revolution"
2nd Book="Love Out Loud" (because she felt the need to be louder)
Philippians 2:3-10--
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Humility--probably the most difficult of the Christian virtues to truly develop. The person who doesn't think they need work on it probably needs it the most.
A humble person is really a happy person because they're not trying to impress anybody. They're not in competition or live a pretend life. They just want to be the best person they can truly be.
Matthew 11:28-30--28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We have a totally worng view of humility (or meekness). "Meek"=strength under control
Instead of paybacks, start by forgiving, praying, then blessing.
We as believer need to fight for these qualities by living them out. We live in a dark world. We can begin to drift. Be a good example to children.
Book="The Love Revolution"
2nd Book="Love Out Loud" (because she felt the need to be louder)
Philippians 2:3-10--
"3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"
God's strength will work through our weaknesses if we allow Him.
PRIDE is the root of ALL sin. Humility is the answer. (Lucifer's main sin was pride.)
Understanding Gifts vs. Fruit--Part 2
Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
(Love and Self-Control are the "bookends" of the rest of the fruit.)
Character development:
How God looks at Gifts vs. How We look at Gifts
Gifts are given to us; fruit is cultivated.
Matthew 21:17--"And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night."
An angry Christian is an oxymoron~and 80% of the church is MAD!
Quit being concerned about what everyone else thinks about what you can do, and get down to business with God. Get rooted and grounded in God, in the love of God, in the Word of God. Ask God to make you grow up no matter WHAT He has to do to you! And pray and ask God to not use you in any public way until you are mature enough to give Him all the glory in everything you do.
Seek God for who He is, not for what He can do for us.
The inner life is very important to God--imaginations, attitudes, desires, etc. It's not what is on the outside that counts. It's all about integrity--what happens behind closed doors.
Need to run from gossip and criticism faster if it's coming from a Christian than if it's coming from a non-believer.
1 Corinthians 3:1--"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ."
God is not impressed with what you do if you do it all for the wrong reasons and motives.
[God sat Joyce on a shelf for a year. She was miserable, but God needed that year to deal with some character flaws she had. If they had not been dealt with before she went out around the world preaching, it could have been bad. After that year, she knew she had a call on her life, she knew who she was in Christ, she knew she was unique, but not weird, and she was able to move forward to do what she knew she needed to do and not compare herself with others as she moved forward.]
Matthew 7:17-20--"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
(Love and Self-Control are the "bookends" of the rest of the fruit.)
Character development:
How God looks at Gifts vs. How We look at Gifts
Gifts are given to us; fruit is cultivated.
Matthew 21:17--"And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night."
An angry Christian is an oxymoron~and 80% of the church is MAD!
Quit being concerned about what everyone else thinks about what you can do, and get down to business with God. Get rooted and grounded in God, in the love of God, in the Word of God. Ask God to make you grow up no matter WHAT He has to do to you! And pray and ask God to not use you in any public way until you are mature enough to give Him all the glory in everything you do.
Seek God for who He is, not for what He can do for us.
The inner life is very important to God--imaginations, attitudes, desires, etc. It's not what is on the outside that counts. It's all about integrity--what happens behind closed doors.
Need to run from gossip and criticism faster if it's coming from a Christian than if it's coming from a non-believer.
1 Corinthians 3:1--"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ."
God is not impressed with what you do if you do it all for the wrong reasons and motives.
[God sat Joyce on a shelf for a year. She was miserable, but God needed that year to deal with some character flaws she had. If they had not been dealt with before she went out around the world preaching, it could have been bad. After that year, she knew she had a call on her life, she knew who she was in Christ, she knew she was unique, but not weird, and she was able to move forward to do what she knew she needed to do and not compare herself with others as she moved forward.]
Matthew 7:17-20--"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Wholly Following God--Part 1
The world is watching. We need to live the life we say we do.
Need to use our free will to give our will to God so we can do His Will (with His help) :)
We are to be dependent on Him. Cannot do anything on our own.
If you want to do something bad enough, you WILL. Not "I can't help myself."
Everyone has the same amount of time. It's a matter of what those people choose to do with it.
Need to make a decision we are not going to live a half-baked life. Stop making excuses. Don't ook at what you don't have, look at what you DO have.
Need to look at what God can do, not just what has been done to us. Everything in the Bible is for our good. If you won't let God use you, He'll find SOMEBODY.
Romans 12:1--"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
He's not looking for sacrifices, He's looking for obedience.
Everything God does, there is a reason. There is NO injustice in God. Just because we don't understand it doesn't make it not right.
Saul--did not do all God had told him to do, and THEN built a statue of himself because he thought he did so well!
1 Samuel 15:12--"Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
We often let our mind get too involved in spiritual matters. We often think it can't be God talking because it might be uncomfortable or sacrificial. Let us not have fat heads and lean hearts.
To be led by the Spirit, you need to be able to take some risks. Take a chance on being wrong to find out if you're right.
[Joyce was being told by God to quit her full time job to stay home and study the Word for the "ministry" she was going to begin. She for a long time held onto her jobknowing they were comfortable financially. Then she got so miserable, she finally quit only then to get a part-time job to help pay bills. She wanted to trust, but could not fully commit to Him just yet.]
Need to use our free will to give our will to God so we can do His Will (with His help) :)
We are to be dependent on Him. Cannot do anything on our own.
If you want to do something bad enough, you WILL. Not "I can't help myself."
Everyone has the same amount of time. It's a matter of what those people choose to do with it.
Need to make a decision we are not going to live a half-baked life. Stop making excuses. Don't ook at what you don't have, look at what you DO have.
Need to look at what God can do, not just what has been done to us. Everything in the Bible is for our good. If you won't let God use you, He'll find SOMEBODY.
Romans 12:1--"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
He's not looking for sacrifices, He's looking for obedience.
Everything God does, there is a reason. There is NO injustice in God. Just because we don't understand it doesn't make it not right.
Saul--did not do all God had told him to do, and THEN built a statue of himself because he thought he did so well!
1 Samuel 15:12--"Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
We often let our mind get too involved in spiritual matters. We often think it can't be God talking because it might be uncomfortable or sacrificial. Let us not have fat heads and lean hearts.
To be led by the Spirit, you need to be able to take some risks. Take a chance on being wrong to find out if you're right.
[Joyce was being told by God to quit her full time job to stay home and study the Word for the "ministry" she was going to begin. She for a long time held onto her jobknowing they were comfortable financially. Then she got so miserable, she finally quit only then to get a part-time job to help pay bills. She wanted to trust, but could not fully commit to Him just yet.]
"The High Cost of Low Living"--Part II
Stepping out of the comfortable "sameness" everything else does--but that can reap so many benefits!
1 Peter 4:1--"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
You can do without anything, but you cannot do without God.
If what I'm trying to do what is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused.
1 Peter 4:1--"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
You can do without anything, but you cannot do without God.
If what I'm trying to do what is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused.
Friday, April 5, 2013
"The High Cost of Low Living"--Part I
"Compromise"--go just a bit below what we know to be right. But everyone else does it, right??
Compromising lowers our standards of living. What we spend our time doing is what is important to us. No time for God=God not important.
It's okay to have things, but it's not okay for the things to have you. It's not the cost of what you give, it's how much it means to you. We are a channel, not a reservoir. Many times God gives us stuff to give away, not keep. No person on their death bed asks for their bank balance. They ask for their family and friends.
It's OKAY to let go of a person who is toxic for you! Do not keep them just to keep a friend. It's okay to be lonely for God. I'd rather have nobody than a lukewarm Christian.
There is a price to pay for a strong anointing on your life.
We cannot melt in with everyone else in this current society. Take a stand no matter what it costs you.
If what I'm trying to do is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused--focus on God's Will and things that will add to your life and not things that are just stealing your life, stealing your time, and stealing your energy.
Compromising lowers our standards of living. What we spend our time doing is what is important to us. No time for God=God not important.
It's okay to have things, but it's not okay for the things to have you. It's not the cost of what you give, it's how much it means to you. We are a channel, not a reservoir. Many times God gives us stuff to give away, not keep. No person on their death bed asks for their bank balance. They ask for their family and friends.
It's OKAY to let go of a person who is toxic for you! Do not keep them just to keep a friend. It's okay to be lonely for God. I'd rather have nobody than a lukewarm Christian.
There is a price to pay for a strong anointing on your life.
We cannot melt in with everyone else in this current society. Take a stand no matter what it costs you.
If what I'm trying to do is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused--focus on God's Will and things that will add to your life and not things that are just stealing your life, stealing your time, and stealing your energy.
"Finishing What You Start"--Part II
Gave to dedicate EVERY AREA of life to God:
**We are educated WAY BEYOND our level of OBEDIENCE.** How many times do we have to hear "Love thy neighbor" before we actually do it??
Hebrews 6:11
**Can't wait to FEEL the right way before you DO the right way.**
**People don't so much pay attention to what we say, but they pay attention to what we do.**
Sometimes we make commitments in the flesh. We need to either ask to be released from the promise or just follow through with it even though God may not have anointed it.
**Dedicating you reputation to God** (what others think; their opinions)
NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LIKE YOU!!
Will have to learn how to deal with some rejection.
The only way we will be respected by non-Christians is to live the life we say we believe in.
Galatians 1:10 Moses and Noah had folks who thought they were nuts. Even Jesus' brothers thought He was crazy.
- your mouth
- thoughts
- ears
- eyes
- entertainment
- social life
- way you dress
- friendships
- appetite
- finances
**We are educated WAY BEYOND our level of OBEDIENCE.** How many times do we have to hear "Love thy neighbor" before we actually do it??
Hebrews 6:11
**Can't wait to FEEL the right way before you DO the right way.**
**People don't so much pay attention to what we say, but they pay attention to what we do.**
Sometimes we make commitments in the flesh. We need to either ask to be released from the promise or just follow through with it even though God may not have anointed it.
**Dedicating you reputation to God** (what others think; their opinions)
NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LIKE YOU!!
Will have to learn how to deal with some rejection.
The only way we will be respected by non-Christians is to live the life we say we believe in.
Galatians 1:10 Moses and Noah had folks who thought they were nuts. Even Jesus' brothers thought He was crazy.
"Finishing What You Start"--Part I
Good majority of people don't finish what they start in the way of spiritual goals.
If you make a decision to do something, DO IT.
We like quick fixes. But that's not how God works. Sow, then reap. Takes time for things to grow.
Romans 7:15-21
Before, the law controlled people. Now we have the Holy Spirit to control us.
The difference between flesh and spirit: If God asks us to do something that's hard, we always try to find an easy way around it. Many of us have run around the same mountain over and over and over and we never get anywhere because we're not doing it God's way.
"Flesh"=body and soul (mind, will emotions)
3 Stages to Christianity:
1-Baby Stage: "What can God do for me?"
2-Transition Stage: "What can I do for God?"
3- Mature Son or Daughter of God: reap rewards
The flesh is a gambler. "Maybe I'll be the one to try drugs and not get addicted....."
**God will deliver you by you listening to what He says and then you do what He says. It's not necessarily God coming in and miraculously delivering.**
MIRACLES DON'T MATURE YOU!!
The flesh starts of with a BANG! (Light a 4th of July sparkler and see it sparkle tons....for like 30 seconds. Then it fizzles fast.)
If you make a decision to do something, DO IT.
We like quick fixes. But that's not how God works. Sow, then reap. Takes time for things to grow.
Romans 7:15-21
Before, the law controlled people. Now we have the Holy Spirit to control us.
The difference between flesh and spirit: If God asks us to do something that's hard, we always try to find an easy way around it. Many of us have run around the same mountain over and over and over and we never get anywhere because we're not doing it God's way.
"Flesh"=body and soul (mind, will emotions)
3 Stages to Christianity:
1-Baby Stage: "What can God do for me?"
2-Transition Stage: "What can I do for God?"
3- Mature Son or Daughter of God: reap rewards
The flesh is a gambler. "Maybe I'll be the one to try drugs and not get addicted....."
**God will deliver you by you listening to what He says and then you do what He says. It's not necessarily God coming in and miraculously delivering.**
MIRACLES DON'T MATURE YOU!!
The flesh starts of with a BANG! (Light a 4th of July sparkler and see it sparkle tons....for like 30 seconds. Then it fizzles fast.)
"The Anatomy of a Habit"--Part II
Your body can only love what you allow it to get used to!
Always think about COST first. But we need to think about the BENEFITS!
"When there's a hill to climb, don't think waiting will make it any smaller."
You really save a lot of time and effort if you just do the right thing first.
1-The God Habit
Always think about COST first. But we need to think about the BENEFITS!
"When there's a hill to climb, don't think waiting will make it any smaller."
You really save a lot of time and effort if you just do the right thing first.
1-The God Habit
- time with God and be in the Word
- will help all other things fall into place
- will drive other bad habits out
"The Anatomy of a Habit"--Part I
"Habit"=something we do without even thinking about it. Did it enough that we made it a part of us. Miss it if we don't do it. Have good habits and bad habits. 40% of everything we do are habits!!
Types of Habits:
1-Emotional
2-Physical
3-Spiritual
4-Financial
Got to start somewhere to break bad habits--no time like the present.
Bad habits are your enemy. Keeping you from being the person you're supposed to be.
Everyone wants good habits, but not everyone is willing to WORK for them.
"I know I shouldn't do this but...."
If you don't follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, you could not only be harming yourself, but also others.
Can be so much fun to be a Christian if you follow the Holy Spirit for yourself and not for anyone else. never know what God has in store for you--what GOOD things He has in store.
Hebrews 12:2
God has given you friends called "self-control" and "discipline".
We need to be sorry for our mistakes, but not regret them.
Types of Habits:
1-Emotional
2-Physical
3-Spiritual
4-Financial
Got to start somewhere to break bad habits--no time like the present.
Bad habits are your enemy. Keeping you from being the person you're supposed to be.
Everyone wants good habits, but not everyone is willing to WORK for them.
"I know I shouldn't do this but...."
If you don't follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, you could not only be harming yourself, but also others.
Can be so much fun to be a Christian if you follow the Holy Spirit for yourself and not for anyone else. never know what God has in store for you--what GOOD things He has in store.
Hebrews 12:2
God has given you friends called "self-control" and "discipline".
We need to be sorry for our mistakes, but not regret them.
"Overcoming Insecurity"--Part II
Grow up, get over yourself, get with the program, stand up to the devil, don't let what other people think about you rule you, stop living according to how you feel, stop living off the top of your brain, don't be a Christian that sits in a pew and want people to spoon-feed it to you all the time, study the Word of God for yourself...
"transformed"= from the inside out.
- God doesn't ask us to do anything He doesn't equip us to do.
- God plants a "God seed" in us and we have to nurture it and make it grow. Like a fruit seed, it will not grow unless we put it into the soil with water and sunlight. Prayer and studying is like the soil and water to allow our faith to grow from the seed that was planted in us. We establish roots, and then eventually FRUIT! i.e. Godly character. Like the seed dies, the self dies, but both become something greater.
- Nobody can have your victory for you--you have to have your victory for yourself. And when it happens, you get the rejoicing--NO ONE ELSE!
- Everything you already need to be victorious is already in you if you are Born Again.
"transformed"= from the inside out.
- If we refuse to let go of our "veil", we can never have intimacy with God. If a bride never unveils her face, she will never have intimacy with her husband. Our veil is us trying to live by the law and do things ourselves.
- Faith takes the place of feelings. Need to have faith and not live by feelings.
"Overcoming Insecurity" Part I
*When a person is insecure, you feel like you always have to keep them happy.
*Can't use "insecurity" as an excuse to stay in bondage.
*God wants us to be confident and bold and know who we are in Him.
*If you choose to continue to live by those feelings, you are going to miss most of what Jesus dies for you to have.
*Time to grow up and get over it (like a teen to adulthood)
*It is time for me to read what's in the Bible, believe it, and ACT like I believe it.
It's not about feelings--it's about making a decision. Make a decision to live a certain way and the feelings will follow.
*Symptoms to look for when righteousness is missing:
*Can't use "insecurity" as an excuse to stay in bondage.
*God wants us to be confident and bold and know who we are in Him.
*If you choose to continue to live by those feelings, you are going to miss most of what Jesus dies for you to have.
*Time to grow up and get over it (like a teen to adulthood)
*It is time for me to read what's in the Bible, believe it, and ACT like I believe it.
It's not about feelings--it's about making a decision. Make a decision to live a certain way and the feelings will follow.
*Symptoms to look for when righteousness is missing:
- lack of joy and peace
- lack of boldness especially in prayer-- Eph. 3:20--ask for things you know you don't deserve and what you think are impossible. BOLDNESS! (Hebrews 4:15-16 & Philippians 3:3)
- None of our worth or value is tied up in degrees or letters behind our names.
- Without Him, we are nothing.
- Tired of phoniness and keeping up with everyone else?
- comparing ourselves to everyone else and compete with them. Or become someone else. Don't pray by the clock, read by the clock, study by the clock, worship by the clock--and eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full :)
- Why can't we leave people alone and let God deal with them?
- If trying something someone else is doing and start to get frustrated, stop and ask God what HE wants for you.
- If you're insecure, you live in a lot of fear.
- Easily offended. Talk negatively about themselves. They do that sometimes so other people will talk them up. Need excessive amounts of encouragement.
- Cannot receive correction from God or anyone else. Touchy, touchy, touchy...people who already feel bad about themselves go berserk when they are corrected. Correction comes across as rejection.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Grace and Miracles
Through grace, I am being delivered. Through a miracle that I knew would come (but just didn't know it would take 6 months), I am coming out of the darkness. And it's not just "getting back to normal". I feel like a whole new "me"--which is what I deep down inside knew I needed.
Like my previous post, I knew that I knew a lot. I have listened over the last 17 years to sermons and books and friends and my husband, and I've even heard the same stuff over and over and over.... But it just never seemed to sink in. Now, I think all that is starting to break through the barrier and into my heart. I can see that time actually IS precious and not just reading the words and trying to believe it.
I've had a lot going on the last 6 months. I've read like 1/2 my Bible. Definitely a good start. Although I don't always process what I'm reading nor do I always understand it all, but it's certainly a good place to be. Another big tool I've been using is Joyce Meyer videos. I can play them on-line anytime. It's so nice to scroll through them, pick a topic that I think may speak to me that day and then BAM! Right between the eyes! And learning more about her past I understand she was just like the rest of us. Her timing almost the same as mine. Mid-to-late 30s just starting to come around even though she had been a Christian a long time.
So since she's been so influential, I've decided to take notes on her videos. I'm sure I can get any of her books and she's already written on the same topics, but this seems like a good way for me to get down the highlights that jump out at me. That way, I can refer back to my notes when I need reminded about certain topics.
I thank God for helping me through probably the roughest 6 months of my spiritual life. It's been transforming. It's been rewarding. Even being in a place of peace for only like 2 or 3 days, I can tell you all the pain and tears have been worth it. It's been a gradual process, but actual deliverance has been instantaneous. Praise God.
In an effort to "keep on keeping on", I have deleted my Facebook (a worldly thing I've been holding onto with lots of different justifications), I continue to take notes from Joyce Meyer, I'm continuing to read my Bible, and I'm going with my heart on the little things I hear. I am listening more intently to the nudgings of my heart. My focus is on God. And to narrow the focus, I need to get rid of the noise--cable TV, Facebook, secular radio, and any other worldly thing I might figure is "okay" when it's just noise. Some worldly things are not "bad" necessarily, but they distract from focus. Going to hopefully keep my focus narrow with my "God blinders". God is with me and I know He will help.
As long as I ask Him....
Like my previous post, I knew that I knew a lot. I have listened over the last 17 years to sermons and books and friends and my husband, and I've even heard the same stuff over and over and over.... But it just never seemed to sink in. Now, I think all that is starting to break through the barrier and into my heart. I can see that time actually IS precious and not just reading the words and trying to believe it.
I've had a lot going on the last 6 months. I've read like 1/2 my Bible. Definitely a good start. Although I don't always process what I'm reading nor do I always understand it all, but it's certainly a good place to be. Another big tool I've been using is Joyce Meyer videos. I can play them on-line anytime. It's so nice to scroll through them, pick a topic that I think may speak to me that day and then BAM! Right between the eyes! And learning more about her past I understand she was just like the rest of us. Her timing almost the same as mine. Mid-to-late 30s just starting to come around even though she had been a Christian a long time.
So since she's been so influential, I've decided to take notes on her videos. I'm sure I can get any of her books and she's already written on the same topics, but this seems like a good way for me to get down the highlights that jump out at me. That way, I can refer back to my notes when I need reminded about certain topics.
I thank God for helping me through probably the roughest 6 months of my spiritual life. It's been transforming. It's been rewarding. Even being in a place of peace for only like 2 or 3 days, I can tell you all the pain and tears have been worth it. It's been a gradual process, but actual deliverance has been instantaneous. Praise God.
In an effort to "keep on keeping on", I have deleted my Facebook (a worldly thing I've been holding onto with lots of different justifications), I continue to take notes from Joyce Meyer, I'm continuing to read my Bible, and I'm going with my heart on the little things I hear. I am listening more intently to the nudgings of my heart. My focus is on God. And to narrow the focus, I need to get rid of the noise--cable TV, Facebook, secular radio, and any other worldly thing I might figure is "okay" when it's just noise. Some worldly things are not "bad" necessarily, but they distract from focus. Going to hopefully keep my focus narrow with my "God blinders". God is with me and I know He will help.
As long as I ask Him....
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