Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

A Little Lump of Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-6

At the Potter’s House

18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

Ever think, "There is no way God can change me!" Or what about "I just can't change, I'm such a failure." You (and I) am thinking about addiction in terms of human eyes and human limitations - our personal limitations.

In this verse, the message is clear. God is like the potter who takes the marred clay pot and reshapes it into something else. Our lives filled with addiction, hurts, hang-ups, habits, and sin are that marred pot and God simply reshapes us.

When we finally decide to allow God to mold us and stop living in doubt or trying to control the outcome, our attitude of humility allows us to finally accept that our Creator can do anything. Anything! He may remold our lives into something that looks similar to the one before we gave up control, or he may mold it into something completely different.  It may be scary, but it will be something beautiful. Just hold still and let Him mold us.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Battling the Temptation

Psalm 119:11
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

How do we guard ourselves against temptations and the battles of this broken world? One way is to read scripture. To study it, memorize it, pour our hearts into reading the Bible,  and soaking up God's word into our hearts. 

 I am not one to be able to memorize easily. But what I have found is because I read it a lot, that I am well versed enough to be able to recall ideas I have read in scripture and then be able to look it up. I'm so thankful I can do at least that.  It truly has saved me more than once from poor choices and has enabled me to boldly have conversations defending my position rather than shy away.

Our struggles come from the world which is on the outside. What will save us will come from inside - the stored scripture in our hearts and the Holy Spirit that dwells within.

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Sunday, October 8, 2017

Debunking the "God Doesn't Give You More Than You Can Handle" myth.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Cor 1:8,9)

Has anyone ever told you during a difficult situation "Well, God only gives you what you can handle."  I've been told that many times and recently it just sent shivers down my spine. So I thought I'd talk about it here today. 

 I truly believe many people say this because of two reasons. First, they misunderstand where hardships come from. And second, most people don't know what to say to offer comfort during difficult times.

 First, God does not give anyone afflictions, illnesses, disabilities, addictions, war, family crisis, cancer, etc. These things happen because we live in a broken world. These things happen because we all have free will and make choices. And sometimes these choices affect us directly and sometimes our choices affect others. And sometimes, things just happen.  Nope, we have no idea why a single mom with 3 kids gets killed in a car crash on the way home from work, or why the athlete develops cancer, or why our spouse who has a wife who lives him starts to watch porn destroying a perfectly good marriage, or why our best friend must care for her elderly father who has Alzheimer's while her child has autism???

 But to be told that "God doesn't gives you what you can't handle" is such a lie. These are all things that just happen and God who is love doesn't give you "things" that are contrary to who He is!

 Then why do these things happen? Again, because we live in a fallen world and our Savior has not returned yet. Honestly, I don't have a better answer than that. I wish I did.

 But here is the beauty of this. God does give us what we "need" to deal with these situations. He gave us Jesus Christ. I know to some it sounds catty, but it's the truth. First, we have to believe that Jesus died for our sins and offers us forgiveness for our life. And then when that happens and you begin to develop that walk with Jesus you will begin to see that He is giving you what you "need" to deal with the situation. 

 Many people say "life goes on" but in reality, God is giving us the resources. People to pray for us. Doctors to help with medical treatments. Meals that come from strangers. And more. from others. But he is also using this to build your relationship with Him. He wants you to go to Him and tell Him you can't do it alone and you need help. He wants us to realize that we can't do it alone. When we exchange our pitiful pleas for genuine faith in Him, situations begin to look differently. I'm not saying that we will always like the outcome because again, we live in a broken world. BUT, God will use everything for His glory - if we just allow Him to.

 I also believe that when we focus on cries to God and He works in us for our own situation, our eyes become open to others around us. We begin to see the tragedies in others lives. And again, it's what we do with that that marks who we are as individuals.

 I'm not saying it's easy. Goodness knows I have my share of these trials. We all do in some way at some point in our lives. But it's what we do under adversity that really marks who we are. Do we run around crying out to others for help or do we fall on our knees and cry out to God? In the end, it takes courage to trust in God. 

 And so I believe it's OK to correct someone when they say to you "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." It's just not Biblical.
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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Being an Exile

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1 Peter 1:1-2

Just who are these exiles here that Peter is writing to? It says they have been chosen basically ahead of time by God. And then it says that through the Holy Spirit they are to do the work of God. 

Well these exiles were new Christians who were being persecuted for their beliefs, yet Peter is urging them on, letting them know that God has pre-selected them to do his works.  And that they have the Holy Spirit helping.

Now, I want you to think about them for just a moment. In their society they were looked down upon. Perhaps it was just because they were new Christians, but also perhaps because of their backgrounds. Perhaps they were sinners - those who society didn't want. And yet, they each came to realize that Jesus came for each of them and renounced their old ways to follow the promise of salvation.

Fast forward 2000 years, who could these exiles be now? Yup - they are us. What does society think of those who are addicted to porn, drugs, alcohol, controlling others, and .....    It's not like the local alcoholic is being welcomed into homes for food or shelter, or being given a job to earn money.  Those with addictions live on the outside of society.

But then there is that same greeting to us. Let me rewrite it
To God’s elect, those with addictions, hurts, hang-ups, habits scattered throughout the states Maine, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York (and keep it going), 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1 Peter 1:1-2

Yes, the greeting is to you and me. In the next few days we will explore a little more about the next few verses of Chapter 1 in 1 Peter,  and where Peter was going with his message to these exiles. But today, just ponder on this verse - when you read the Bible and you see something that was written with such a greeting - it really does mean you and me as we are all sinners and need that Salvation that God has offered through Jesus Christ.  NOTE: we were selected ahead of time AND he has GOOD works for us.

And because of being exiles, it's why I think having a group to attend meetings with such as a 12 Step Program, Accountability group or a Celebrate Meeting helps all the "exiles" come together and have that peace.  If you don't already have a support group as such, I highly urge you to find one in your area.

And so today, grace and peace be yours in abundance!

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Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Put Your Regret In Your Back Pocket

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. Psalm 23: 1-3


Commentaries believe that Psalm 23 was written later in King David's life. If you haven't read anything about David, let's say that he had a lot of experiences just like you or I...lust, murder, disobedience but in the end he returned to God and became a man like God.

And so we can learn from David.  This Psalm tells us that the Lord will bring a time of quiet into our lives (after we decide to give up the old ways) and that He will restore our souls. I find that so peaceful and promising.

Today's is a short devotion but I hope you can have peace in knowing that there will come a time of rest and reflection in your life. God wants you to have a full and meaningful life with no regrets - we just need to be willing to give up the addiction or hurt or hang-up.  I gave mine up -- are you ready?

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Sunday, July 2, 2017

God's Purpose

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

Last week I wrote about purpose and legacy and the fact that Jesus loves us. And I think today, this verse pulls all 3 of those pieces together. Jesus DOES have a purpose for us. That's why he created us. 

 But what is that purpose? Well, first, for those who are dealing with an addiction..we must be rid of it. There is NO WAY we can hear God's voice clearly about what our purpose is if we keep listening to the lies of Satan about how our addiction is an OK way of life.  Only once we shed that can we begin to hear God's voice.

 Now what is our purpose? Our legacy? I don't know. But what I do know is that this verse promises that "God works for the good of those who love him". Honestly, it would be awesome to know exactly what that is - but sometimes just rest in the promise. It takes a lot of energy to be here on earth and be sober - and so sometimes just resting in the promise is enough.  

 I thought it was important for you to know that...often we get so caught up in trying to "be" that we need to be reminded that He has it all worked out.  So take time to rest and let Him do the work (but be listening in case He is calling you!)


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Wednesday, May 31, 2017

How Do I Plan?

So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. I Corinthians 2:5

Have you ever experienced the disappointment of carefully made plans? You really think that you thought through every situation only to find out that "it" just didn't end up the way you thought it would (or should).

Many of us just quit. It's so much easier to throw our hands up and say "I'm done! I tried!" and then not want to take on any more risks.  As an addict, or someone with a bad habit this is just not an option unless we want to return to our old habits or ways that were literally killing us.

We have a wonderful life and God has plans for us to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). And that's the ticket. If we trust Him, and believe in Him, why do we feel so depressed that our plans failed? It's because we are relying on plans and not God's plans. We need to be patient as perhaps God's plans are going to move slower than we want them to. And we need to be listening. Sometimes God's plans are not the same as our plans.

Let God be in control and rest in that peace. Until then do some practical things to deal with your disappointment. Some ideas include praying to God and asking for discernment. Ask Him to help you figure out if indeed your plan is God's plan. Surround yourself with those who can encourage you during disappointing times (and be careful because many folks will take the "I told you so approach"), read scripture to find peace for the disappointments.  Take a break from the "plans". Do some physical exercise.

But no matter the approach - don't give up. God does have something planned.



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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Light - When in Times of Darkness

Even in the darkness, light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Psalm 112:4

I have witnessed (and lived through) the beginning stages of breaking free from an addiction (bad habit, hurt, hangup) and the euphoria from finally realizing the brokenness and just admitting the problem. Acceptance that something has to change. And so we come up with a plan and attend our meetings and life is good for a while.

And then something happen in our lives. We lose a child or a spouse. Our house gets destroyed by fire or we lose a job. In other words, disaster strikes. As a believer, we have accepted that there are going to be dark times in our lives. Either caused by us - or caused by situations in life that we don't control. But rest assured, dark times will happen.

But what do we do with these dark clouds? Yes at first we might cling to the glorious reality and joy that floods our life because we are believing God will walk us through it- but times goes by - and then what? How will you react when your sick child dies, or you can't find work for 10 months, or you find out the insurance on the house was lapsed?

When these times come and you find yourself starting to go down a dark and dangerous road of questioning God and ultimately giving into your addiction, it is then that you must take pause and reestablish your connection to God. It is then that you must remember that God is unchanging. The circumstances might be hard to accept and seem unfair, but cling to the fact that God loves you and cares for you.

Dark times will end. The clouds will move away and light will return. The question is,will you be standing in the light when it returns?

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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Our Role Model

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. Ephesians 5:1

Do you remember back to when you were a kid and you had to write a paper in school about who was your role model? Maybe it was a teacher, or a parent, or even a friend, perhaps a sports figure or someone in the community.

Now, fast forward years later. Is that person still your role model? For some yes, and many others the answer might be no. You might have learned something about that person that has left you wondering about their lives. Or perhaps you have just grown up and realized that not everyone is perfect - perhaps you learned they have and addiction, cheated on wives, embezzled money from the company they worked for.

The thing is, there is a much better role model for us - someone who IS perfect for both you and me. Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth and endured the same tests that we as humans do. Infact, he endured so much more. And he never tried to find the easy, painless way out. If you read the Bible you will see he endured the same feelings and emotions as we do - joy, love, frustrations, temptations, sadness, rejection, etc.

Ask the Lord to transform us into His image more each day - fill us with the Holy Spirit so that our behavior and choices and thoughts and words are more like Jesus each day.


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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

I Lift My Eyes to the Hills

Psalm 121:1-2  

A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.









It's normal to feel helpless in life. It's because we are not in control and as a people we want control.  I can attest to this as I am a control freak! And yes we have free will to make our own choices and they do have consequences but in reality, God is in control. And so why do I try and "control" situations.  How silly of me to think I know God's plan and that I can do better.










And so when I need help, instead of trying to figure everything out on my own, I do as the Psalmist wrote and I lift my eyes to the hill because that is where my help will come from.










This weekend in my son's Sunday School class the teacher asked the kids "Why is it so hard to trust God?" (I was helping which is why I know what was said). And one smart kiddo answered, "Because I can't see him." Boy, did that little child state the obvious.  But I contend that he was seeing life through a child's set of eyes.  I can see God's love and provision in so many ways.  But I can see it because I am looking for it.  And so we must train ourselves to not only let God be in control but also to recognize His hand upon situations.  That is why we pray yes?  As we grow in faith and maturity, we begin will begin to see God's hand in life. And for those things that don't make sense, we get to ask him later.  How wonderful that life will not go unresolved.








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Sunday, April 9, 2017

Take Time

None of us lives to himself alone. Romans 14:7


We always find time to do the things we want to do, but are quick to fins excuses for kinda skipping the things we don't want to do or that we should be doing.  Let's face it..we as a human being are a self-gratifing creature. It feels good to do those fun things but laborious to do things that we ought to do.
This happens in our spiritual lives as well for many reasons.

It's so easy to make excuses as to why we don't take time to pray. And reading the Bible? That's even longer yet. What about attending a 12 step meeting for our recovery? Instead of beating ourselves up over it, it's time to ask why.

Why do we want to have a relationship with Christ but not put in the time? Why is our faith a burden rather than something that shines? Why should taking care of ourselves and our spiritual needs come last?

This happens when we no longer reach out to God. And that often happens when we feel we are no longer in crisis. True time spent with God and in spiritual self-care will deepen our relationship with our Savior creating the desire to live as He wants us to. Our sobriety will continue and our desire to remain sober will increase.

This is a short devotional on purpose today. Stop and take time to say a prayer.  I am.


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Thursday, April 6, 2017

I Am Second - Sean Little

This week we have had devotions about our past, and parents, and about moving on. It's a little long (7 minutes) but well worth the watch.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19


The Story


The music scene in Evansville, Indiana, may not be as large as New York City, but it is vibrant nonetheless. So when Sean Little performs, people are listening. Performing it is, since his energetic hip-hop/rap requires him to transform from the soft-spoken family man he is away from the stage.
But it was not always that way. Only through Jesus working in his life has he developed a peace to help him calm the dysfunction he experienced earlier in his life. Family members in jail. Few positive role models. A path that could have easily led to death—but did not.
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Honor Your Mother and Father

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

I know this is a tough one having wrestled through it myself. And this is why I think going through the 12 step program or Celebrate Recovery program is so helpful (along with some good Christian counseling).

We all have a mother and a father. That is a fact. Some of us might have been raised by one or both or neither. And so some of us might actually have more than one mother or father in a sense.  And whatever your circumstance or relationship with your parents, I cannot speak to.

I can say that I myself had to deal with "issues".  Let's face it..most of us do.

But what I have learned from dealing through these items is the following:

1. They raised me based on what their past was shaped by (see yesterday's devotional post)

2. They are humans just like I am. They have to deal with circumstances in life. As we grow older we no longer hold our parents on that pedestal. In fact, we quickly take them off of it and replace it with something else. If you are reading this blog then you probably replaced it with drugs, alcohol, pornography etc. And only once we hit rock bottom  do we replace our parents, our addiction with the true father - our Father God. And we put Him on the pedestal.

3. And lastly, and I think the most important, is that I am an adult. Yes, I have my past, but I know right from wrong. I can make my own decisions. And I am accountable for my decisions. I am accountable to my family, I am accountable to my spouse and kids, I am accountable to my job, and friends and church. But most importantly, I am accountable to God.  And to Him, it is where my faith lies.

And so, working through the steps ( for me it was Celebrate Recovery but they are basically the same) I was able to forgive my parents for their choices that were wrong and honor them. But now I honor them not on the pedestal, but rather as humans with the love and grace and mercy that God shows me each day.

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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Don't Lose Your Praise

Scripture of the Day: "Praise the LORD!  Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever.  Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD?  Who can ever praise Him half enough?" - Psalm 106:1-2 (NLT).

 Ask yourself this question on today.  "Is there something I lost lately and don’t notice it?"  Well, I hope it's not your praise!  I don't know about any of you out there, but now is not the time to lose any praise for the Lord.  Not a little bit, not a lot, none! 
...
We don't just praise Him when the sunshine and rainbows appear, but when the storms, rains, and "earthquakes" make their appearance too.  If we can praise Him and not lose any of it thru the easy and good times, then we don't have to lose any of it through the difficult and bad times.  No matter what you're experiencing or going through, just receive this word on today that "Now is not the time to be losing any of your praise!"  Give the Lord some praise from your heart on today, on tomorrow, and for sure in those "tough times".  And remember that your blessing, your breakthrough, your healing, your deliverance, your victory, or whatever you're in need of, is waiting on your PRAISE!

 To read the entire devotional (and it's worth it)..visit www.streamingfaith.com

For those of us in recovery for an addiction it's so important to praise God each and every day. When we can do this in good and bad we will triumph over potential relapses because our minds will immediately turn to God. But you must train yourself to praise Him.


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Sunday, March 12, 2017

It's Better Together


"Praise the Lord from the earth... young men and maidens, old men and children." —Psalm 148:7,12
“Would you look at this?! Isn’t it wonderful?” My co-worker Angela always beckons me away from my desk at the end of the day whenever a beautiful sunset emblazons above the coastal hills by our office. She simply must share her joy with others. That’s the nature of praise, isn’t it? 
When we consider some aspect of life praiseworthy, we simply must have others join in. Whether it’s a sunset, a baby’s smile, a beautiful new painting we just hung in the living room, our delight is multiplied when others enjoy that special something with us. 
That’s why, according to C. S. Lewis, the writers of the Psalms keep encouraging us, the readers, to join them in praising the Lord. They are saying, “Look, I just have to show you... God is so great, you just have to praise him with me.” Lewis also said: “I used to think of praise in terms of giving a compliment or approval or the giving of honor. But it’s more than that. We praise the things we value, the things we enjoy. It’s a spontaneous overflow. We can’t help but praise what we value.” 
I love Jesus. I enjoy and value the Lord Jesus. And, yes, my delight in praising him is an expression of what I feel. But also, when I praise him, the joy is more complete if others join in. It’s the nature of praise. 
Find some aspect of nature — the texture of the tree trunk in the backyard or a Blue Jay’s brilliant feathers — and then rejoice in it with someone else. Consider together some glorious aspect of God. Maybe his mighty work in creation will come to mind. Or his attention to details. Or his infinite array of colors in creation. The point is to praise him with someone else. 
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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Praying Friends


Praying Friends from Our Daily Bread

 by Anne Cetas


I met my friend Angie for lunch after having not seen her for several months. At the end of our time together, she pulled out a piece of paper with notes from our previous get-together. It was a list of my prayer requests she had been praying for since then. She went through each one and asked if God had answered yet or if there were any updates. And then we talked about her prayer requests. How encouraging to have a praying friend!
The apostle Paul had a praying relationship with the churches he served, including the one at Thessalonica. He thanked God for the faith, love, and hope of the people (1 Thess. 1:2-3). He longed to see them, and asked God “night and day” that he might be able to visit them again (3:10-11). He requested that the Lord would help them “increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (v.12). He also prayed that their hearts would be blameless before God (v.13). They must have been encouraged as they read about Paul’s concern and prayers for them. Paul knew too his own need for God’s presence and power and pleaded, “Brethren, pray for us” (5:25).
Loving Father, thank You for wanting us to talk with You. Teach us all to be praying friends.
I need the prayers of those I love
While traveling on life’s rugged way,
That I may true and faithful be,
And live for Jesus every day. —Vaughn
The best kind of friend is a praying friend.

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Wednesday, March 8, 2017

God's Great Gift

May the grace of The Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

When we reflect on the sacrifice God made on Golgatha, through Jesus Christ, for our redemption and salvation, the eternal hope that He gave us through His triumphant resurrection from the dead and the power He extends to us through the Holy Spirit, we are overwhelmed with wonder.

There is no way we could ever repay The Lord for immeasurable love. But, we could and should, open our lives to Him so that we can pass on His love to others. Christ commanded us to love one another and we love ourselves, and as He loves us.

Grace for each Moment

-- during this season, this sacrifice should be on the forefront of our minds. We should be so aware that we are undeserving and yet, there it is. Accept it and love Him back. It's free and He is waiting for you to join Him at the cross just as you are.

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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Spirit of Love

Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:5

Jesus promised His Holy Spirit to everyone who accepts Him as Lord and Savior and He has kept this promise.

Remember that Christ can change your life. As you open your heart to Him, a new unsurpassed strength will fill your soul and enable you to do things that are pleasing to God. This change and new strength are the work of the Spirit and will assure you of Christ's presence in your life.

If you have the spirit of Christ you will know the reality of His holy presence. Love for Him will radiate from your heart and life.

Grace for Each Moment 

-- I can attest to this! I find the more I find myself in love with God and believing his promises that my choices, actions, thoughts are filtered with the phrase "what would Jesus want me to do?" And when I act on that I am filled with such a wonderful feeling. And that feeling is what I want more of. And so on it goes. What an amazing gift we have been given!!

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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Finding Our Way Back to God


March 5
Scripture reading for today: Ephesians 5; Amos 4 &
5
I am concerned about you. I am afraid you will rush past big believing, and move on to trying to behave, without pausing to prepare. Frankly, that’s easier than doing the work of believing, and humans gravitate towards softer, gentler solutions. If a microwave will accomplish the same purposes as a conventional oven, we will pick the microwave, right?
So let’s read chapter five in Ephesians, and I’ll illustrate my concern. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. Ephesians 5:1‐2 NLT
Reframing:

• Believing will require me to know God well enough to imitate Him in every single solitary moment of my life.
  • Believing is contingent upon me understanding my relationship with God (I’m His kid; not his indentured servant, not His pawn, not an object of His wrath; I’m His baby.)
  • Believing will always, always, always mean loving, and loving is best exemplified by Christ.
  • Believing will require me to know how Jesus loved, and will necessitate me learning how to apply how He loved to my daily life experience (I’ve got work to do!).
Hang with me on this point: it’s far easier to rush
to the second half Ephesians and study what it says we should do than to camp in two little verses long enough to grasp their astounding implications.

Thought for today: Once a long time ago, Pete (my husband) and I were teaching a “newlywed” Bible study at church. Someone in charge of curriculum got the idea that the summer months would be a good time to bring out a series of biblical studies on sexuality. I’ll never forget the experience for a variety of reasons, some of which I can’t share! One Sunday our topic was homosexuality, and these newlyweds really got into it! Oh, they said, what a
sin! How terrible! Just look at how clearly the scriptures speak about this subject—how dare anyone commit this vile act against holy God! The next week we talked about adultery. Specifically, we discussed Jesus’ instructions to men when he says, If you even look at another woman with lust in your heart, you’ve committed adultery in your heart (see Matthew 5:27‐28). The room was strangely silent. 

"It struck me as sad, really, how easy it was for us to judge others so harshly for a sin (that presumably wasn’t an issue for any of them) yet how reluctant we were to engage in meaningful conversation about an area of behaving that surely every person in that room could relate to. So I’m concerned that you’re going to follow the example of these young believers who found it easier to discuss a sin that they couldn’t relate to than it was to wrestle with one that they no doubt had experienced. When we rush through believing and straight to behaving, this can happen to us. We can seek to avoid getting honest about our own stuff and instead set up rules to live by that we think we can manage on our own—independently of God. I warn you: don’t do this. None of us can behave our way into the good graces of God, nor do we have to! God has a different way to handle our “issues” that is far more effective than us trying to muster up the self control necessary to play by the rules." from northstarcommunity.com


 I was excited when I found this devotional for recovery. It is truly filled with lots of practical and thought provoking ideas.  To read more visit http://www.northstarcommunity.com/clientimages/44773/documents/devotional12in12.pdf




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Friday, February 3, 2017

God's Redeeming Love

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. Colossians 1:27

The wonder and glory of the Christian gospel is that God loved us while we were still sinners. Without such a love, we would indeed have still been lost.

As you become deeply aware of your imperfections and sins, you are also aware that there is a divine and all-powerful Diety who is calling you to a better and nobler life. Because of our sinfulness it is impossible to live life as God intended for us without His help.

So accept God's offer to recreate and transform your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with the strength you need to walk according to God's ways.

Grace for Each Moment


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