The prodigal son didn't end up among the pigs the day he left his father's house; he went through a gradual process of decline (see Luke 15:11-15). So it is with us. If the enemy presented the end with the first temptation, it would be easy to resist! But usually the departure from grace is so subtle that even leaders take the bait.
The warning signs are visible long before we fully embrace sin. One of the first is that we allow other people or things to take the place in our hearts that belongs only to God. Preferring any earthly thing over God is a clear sign that our hearts have wandered. Even the spiritually mature are in danger of allowing what is visible to usurp the place of the eternal, invisible God. The result is that we become lukewarm in our pursuit of God. Complacency sets in. We compare ourselves to the standard of others rather than to the standard of the Word and justify what we know is compromise. We begin to live "a form of godliness," being outwardly religious but having no power in our lives (2 Tim. 3:5, KJV). Self then takes the throne (see vv. 2-4). We are no longer able to express the pure love God desires and are often judgmental and critical of others. Ultimately, like the prodigal son squandering his inheritance, we end up on the path to sin and spiritual death. If your heart has wandered, recognizing your condition and crying out for God's help is the first step back into His empowering grace. Even your failure can be a stepping stone to a higher place spiritually if you come to see that your flesh can't be trusted. Understanding your own weakness is a key to releasing God's power on your behalf. The next step is to get right with God and others. Even if you have been wronged, you must forgive. This may seem difficult, but it is essential to maintaining communication with God--and it is worth the price. As one saint wrote: "When the soul seeks nothing in the universe but the smile of God and fears nothing but offending Him, it will gladly consent to pay any price to get perfectly right with Him." Third, look to God and His Word as your standard rather than to those around you. Jesus said, "'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'" (Matt. 5:48). This is an impossible standard for us to attain on our own, but with God we can do all things (see Phil. 4:13). Finally, learn to walk in the Spirit, keeping your mind on God and His kingdom by praying continually. In this manner the Holy Spirit will become a filter for your thoughts. Daily pray Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (NIV). God will be faithful to answer this prayer and to keep your heart stayed on Him. * Psalm 81:6'Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. 'The Lord is the burden removing, yoke destroying God. He will take & lift the load from your shoulders. He will bring you out of bondage & into freedom. Give it to Him today & let Him lift your burden
Pray without ceasing. —1 Thessalonians 5:17
Brother Lawrence (1614–1691) felt intimately close to God as he humbly scrubbed pots and pans in the monastery kitchen. Certainly Brother Lawrence practiced specific times of devotional prayer. But what he found more life-transforming was prayer during the workday. In his devotional classicPracticing the Presence of God, he says, “It is a great delusion to think our times of prayer ought to differ from other times. We are as strictly obliged to cleave to God by action in the time of action as by prayer in the season of prayer.” In short, he advocated that we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). That’s a helpful reminder, because sometimes we tend to compartmentalize our lives. Perhaps we pray only during church worship, small-group Bible study, family devotions, and personal quiet times. But what about during our workday? To pray on the job does not mean we have to fall to our knees with clasped hands and pray aloud. But it does mean that work decisions and relationships can be brought to God throughout the day. Wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, God wants to be a part of it. When prayer enters every aspect of our lives, who knows what God might do for His glory! Let’s always keep the prayer lines open, Knowing God is always there; For we upon His name may call Anytime and anywhere. —D. De Haan True prayer is a way of life, not an emergency detour! You Can Not Hang Out With Negative People... and Expect To Live A Positive Life -- Joel Osteen "You need to associate with people who inspire you, people who challenge you to rise higher, people who make you better. Don't waste your valuable time with people who are not adding to your growth. Your destiny is too important." -- Joel Osteen "You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won't happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, "I don't care how hard this is. I don't care how disappointed I am. I am not going to let this get the best of me. I'm moving on with my life." -- Joel Osteen Joel's words and wisdom provide much needed help in Today's world. See beyond today. In your mind, you must be able to see where you want to go. Picture in your mind the place you want to be. Once you focus on that goal (picture) then you can get there. No one said it will be easy. As you may have heard... "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." You want great things? You must try new things in new ways and be open to the paths that God has for your life. And as you go, remember the great wisdom of Ben Franklin... "Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." So, keep reaching, keep trying and keep moving forward. Heavenly Father, we are definitely men and women of hope. We put our hope in You, our faith in You and our very being into Your hands. As we walk our various life paths, we walk them knowing that no matter what we do for a living., where we are in our outstanding of faith, or how much we have grown in spirit, that we are grounded in the hope You have given us in Jesus Christ. We.
know that nothing else can take that hope from us for it is Your eternal gift and we are grateful. Lord, grant that we might keep our hopes high this week and share the light of our hope with those around us. Help us be the messengers of encouragement in the lives of others every chance we get and to be the light You have created us to be. We praise You for choosing us to be Your sons and daughters and we ask that You will bless our hopes for those we love in every area of life according to Your will and purpose. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read Ephesians 1:18 Every single one of us deals with fear, but that doesn’t mean we have to be controlled by it.
I have a timely message on my heart that has the power to change the way you approach the fears in your life. As I’ve learned to apply this principle in my own life and ministry, I’ve seen God do amazing and unprecedented things. And I believe God wants to do the same thing for you! You’re going to rise to new levels, overcome every obstacle and see your God-given dreams come true. Here’s the key: Activate Faith, Not Fear It’s a simple choice you and I get to make every day. Activating your faith, rather than activating your fears, is one of the most important things you can do to live a victorious, overcoming life in Christ. The Scripture says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV) That means you can say “no” to fear, doubt and insecurity because those things are not from God. Instead, you can say “yes” to faith and live a bold, victorious, fearless life. Fear and faith have something in common: They both ask us to believe something is going to happen that we cannot see. Both fear and faith are powerful forces, but you get to choose which of these you want to activate in your life. When you choose faith over fear, it activates God’s power. Instead of focusing on your problems, choose instead to focus on God’s promises. · If things are tough at work right now, be fearless! God has promised to pour out His favour (Psalms 30:5) · If you’ve received a discouraging report from the doctor, be fearless! Healing is coming your way (Isaiah 53:5) · If there is a struggle in your finances, be fearless! God is going to provide for every need. (Philippines 4:19) · If your child or someone you care about has gotten off track, be fearless! God is going to bring them back. (Proverbs 22:6) If you’ll fearlessly activate your faith by standing on God’s promises, you will see God do exceedingly, abundantly more than you could even ask or think. from Joel and Victoria Psalm 126:5
'Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.' - Not every season in life is a season of joy. - What we sow during each season will lead to a time of reaping. - Embrace whatever season you are in and look for God in it all. - And believe the promise that you will reap with songs of joy! PRAYER: Lord, You know the season I am facing and I pray that what I plant during this time of my life will ultimately lead to a harvest of joy. Amen. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
When we go through a trial, we tend to ask ourselves, “Does God really love me? How come I don’t seem to see it?” When that happens, it is time to bring in the cross, for God’s love for you is displayed forever at the cross. God gave up His Son to suffer and die on the cross for you. Jesus was pierced in seven places for you—in His head by the crown of thorns, His two hands and feet by the nails, and His side and heart by the spear of a Roman soldier. Jesus wore the crown of thorns on His head so that you can have a sound mind free from fears, guilt, depression, anxieties and stress. When Jesus first showed His nail-pierced hands to His disciples, He said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19–20) He wanted them to know that peace is found in His finished work, typified by His pierced hands. The more you see His finished work which has bought complete forgiveness of all your sins, the more your conscience will be at peace and rest. Jesus’ feet brought Him to places where there was lack, diseases, rejection, condemnation and even death. And those feet were nail-pierced so that you do not need to be in such places yourself. He has rescued you from having to accept and suffer these things in life. Blood and water flowed out of Jesus’ side when it was pierced. (John 19:34) Medical science will tell you that that means His heart had ruptured. Jesus died literally of a broken heart so that your heart can be filled with joy. And just as Eve came forth from Adam’s side when he was sleeping, the bride of Christ, the church, came forth from Jesus’ pierced side and death. If He died to have you as His spotless bride, He lives today to care for you. Beloved, the only man-made things in heaven today are those scars on His body. They will remain forever as tokens of His everlasting love and passion for you. So if God did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up for you, how will He not with Him also freely give you all things! Psalm 31:20
'You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.' - What other people say can often affect us greatly. - But God offers you a place of safety. - He wants to hide you in His pavilion. - Go to your refuge and He will cover you with His wings. PRAYER: Lord, I take refuge in You today. Hide me in Your pavilion and protect me from the strife of tongues. Amen. As daar Johannes die Doper gevra is wie hy was, het hy geantwoord: "Ek is die een wat in die woestyn roep: Maak die pad vir die Here reguit." (Johannes 1:23 NV). Nadat Johannes se dissipels na hom geluister het, het hulle weggegaan om vir Christus te volg. Johannes was tevrede daarmee omdat hy geweet het waarvoor hy geroep was. Weet jy? Jy kan ook net vir so lank dinge uitprobeer. Op een of ander stadium moet jy agterkom waarvoor God jou geroep het, sodat jy jouself ten volle daaraan kan wy. Paulus was blykbaar nie 'n goeie spreker nie. "Bewus van my swakheid, en met groot angs en huiwering, het ek na julle toe gekom." (1 Korintiërs 2:3 NV). Maar wat hy kortgekom het as 'n spreker het hy voor opgemaak as 'n skrywer. Hy het die geïnspireerde woorde geskryf wat ander in staat gestel het om te preek. Sy woorde was so kragtig dat hy in die tronk papier wou hê, eerder as 'n prokureur of lekker kos, sodat hy kon aanhou skryf. Paulus het sy lewe lank geskryf. Sy woorde beïnvloed mense se lewens tot vandag toe. Dit was Paulus se roeping en hy het homself daaraan gewy. Het jou al jou roeping ontdek en jouself daaraan gewy? George Bernard Shaw het gesê: "Die lewe is nie vir my soos 'n kers wat vlugtig brand nie, maar eerder soos 'n wonderlike fakkel. Ek wil die fakkel, wat ek slegs vir 'n oomblik kan vashou, so helder as moontlik laat brand, voordat ek dit vir toekomstige generasies aangee."
Sielskos: Heb. 11:17-13:25; Matt 15:29-39; Ps 28; Spr. 5:3-6 |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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