Freedom from False Guilt

Read ~ 1 John 3:19-24

Have guilty feelings created a wall that prevents you from receiving God's unconditional love? Perhaps you still haven't accepted His forgiveness for something you've done in the past. Until you do, you will continue to deprive yourself of the divine love He wants you to experience.

Or maybe the problem is that you carry around a false sense of guilt--you don't know why you feel ashamed, but you do. The Holy Spirit clearly convicts us of sin so we can repent and be free. But a pervasive, vague sense of guilt with no specific cause comes from the Devil. Ask God to cleanse you of it. Jesus died for you so that you could be free!

Another source of guilt is legalistic teaching. Many people have been taught a distorted version of the gospel and think, I'll never measure up. That's the kind of message the religious leaders of Jesus' time communicated: Unless you do this, God won't accept you; if you do that, you'll go to hell. Pharisaical living involves trying to earn the Lord's acceptance through your own power--righteous deed by righteous deed. Since no one can please Him this way, attempting to do so leads to bondage. Jesus came to liberate us from this slavery. It's time to let His grace and love cleanse you from any shame weighing you down.

The Bible says that when you are set free by Christ, your freedom is complete (John 8:36). Reject Satan's lie that you are separated from the liberty found in Jesus' love. Then ask the Lord to help you walk in the truth. You can again experience the joy of unhindered fellowship with your Savior.

(Via Charles Stanley)
 
Be Blessed!
Dawn

True Spiritual Growth

Read James 1:17-27

If you want to genuinely grow in spiritual maturity, it is not enough to simply be instructed by the Word of God. You may love going to church or listening to Christian radio programs. You might talk about everything you hear and assume you're growing because your knowledge is increasing. However, if you don't actually grow closer to God by allowing His Word to change you from the inside out, your head will merely continue to fill with information. You might even sound like a godly person who is admired for the ability to quote chapter and verse. But if you don't take the next step and allow God to touch others' lives through you, you're missing the point.

Spiritual growth is the result of practicing the truth you receive from God. He wants you to give away what He gives you--that is, by loving and serving others and sharing the truth of the gospel. Our example is Jesus, who said that He did not come to be served, but to serve even the lowest outcasts in His society (Matt. 20:28). He could have exalted Himself and spent all His time preaching and teaching. Instead, Jesus did only the Father's will, which was to reveal His heart of love to a broken world. The Lord sacrificially involved Himself in people's lives, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps.

God's plan is to reach the world through you. If that weren't the case, He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were saved. But you are here for a purpose--to live out Christ's life alongside hurting people who desperately need to experience His love.

(Via Charles Stanley)
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

T-H-I-N-K!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  ~ Philippians 4:8


A recent survey revealed that America's teenagers are now spending an average of seven-and-a-half hours per day involved in multiple forms of electronic media, including, TV, video games, listening to music, surfing the Web, texting, and e-mailing.

Those things are not bad. But we can be so current on culture yet so out of touch with Scripture. So let's make sure that our minds and hearts are filled with the truths of God.

Romans 12:1 tells us to "give [our] bodies to God because of all he has done for [us]. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable." Giving our bodies to God also includes our tongues—our words and what we say to others. As James 3:5 points out, "The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire."


I would suggest that you T-H-I-N-K before you speak. The next time you have one of those things you are about to say and are not sure if you really ought to say it, run through the T-H-I-N-K acronym:

T—is it true?
H—is it helpful?
I—is it inspiring?
N—is it necessary?
K—is it kind?


Maybe you're thinking, If I lived by that principle, I wouldn't say anything. Ever. So be it. Present your tongue to God.

Not only that, we need to present our hands and feet to Him as well. Proverbs 6:17–19 says there are seven things that God detests: "haughty eyes (pride/arrogance in self and distain/scorn toward others), a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent ( this includes character assasination), a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family."

So present your hands and your feet and your tongue to God.

(Via Greg Laurie)

Be Blessed!

Dawn

Are You Discouraged Today?

Even the most committed believer has those moments when fear or worry can kick in.


Anxiety can overtake us. Maybe we're concerned about our future, feel discouraged about some of our failures and shortcomings, or find ourselves anxious about the lives of our family members.

Far too often, though, we are afraid of the wrong things in life, and not afraid of the right things . . . or the right One. Many people don't fear God, giving Him the awe and the reverence that is His due. Yet the Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom.



What is the "fear of the Lord?"

The Bible says that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever" (Psalm 111:10).

To fear God doesn't mean that we cowering in terror before Him. Rather, the fear of God has been properly defined as a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. If I have sinned, my fear should not be based on the anticipation of what God will do to me, but on what I have done to displease Him. I love Him so much that I would never want to grieve His heart by turning my back on Him or going my own way. That is what it means to fear the Lord.



Don't be discouraged today

David wrote, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever" (Psalm 19:9). It is good for us to fear Him. The remarkable thing is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else. On the other hand, if you don't fear God, then you fear everything else, and you find yourself running from shadows.

In another psalm, David stated, "The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Only the person who can say, "The Lord is the strength of my life," can then say, "Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Maybe you feel that your life has been a failure, or perhaps find yourself discouraged, depressed, or afraid of something. If you're gripped by fear and worry today, then let the Lord be the strength of your life. Trade in all your lesser and destructive fears for the fear that will bring wisdom and peace.
 
(Via Greg Laurie)
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

The Prerequisite for Knowing God's Will

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ~ 1 Timothy 2:3-4

The first prerequisite for discerning the will of God is that you must be a believer in Jesus Christ. I say that because 1 Timothy 2:3–4 says, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Scripture also tells us that God is "not willing that any should perish (separated from Him forever) but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). So to know the will of God, we must first know God.

I think that sometimes people view the Bible as sort of a magical book that is full of successful principles they can unleash. But the Bible is written for God's people. It is not a bunch of potions that a person can enact in his or her life. These are principles that are given to the man or the woman of God who lives the way He wants them to live.

Though the Bible is very inspiring and contains great literature and beautiful poetry, if you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are not going to be able to unlock the truths that are found in it. So it starts with knowing the Author of the book.

I have the privilege of knowing some well-known pastors who have written books, and sometimes I will call them up and say, "Hey, I was just reading this in your book the other day, and I was wondering what you meant by. . . ." Then they will explain to me what they meant. It is great to be able to talk to the author of the book.

In the same way, we can consult with the author of the Bible, who is God. But first we must be believers.
 
(via Greg Laurie)
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

Guaranteed Guidance

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. ~  James 4:17

Sometimes we cry out to God, "Lord, show me Your will—just speak to me right now," when all the while, we are holding the answer in our hands. God's will is revealed in the pages of Scripture.

It would be like waiting for a letter containing directions that tell you what you should do, and when the letter finally arrives, you hold it in your hand, never open it, and then wonder why you could not get the information you needed.

In the same way, God has revealed His plan and His purpose, but we must study the Scripture to know what it is.

David prayed, "Teach me to do Your will" (Psalm 143:10). Notice that he did not say, "Teach me to understand your will." Rather, he said, "Teach me to do Your will." This carries the assumption that it is not a matter of information, but obedience. Sometimes I think the problem is not that we don't know the will of God; it is that we don't like the will of God.

I have a granddaughter who engages in selective hearing. She hears me when I say something she likes, such as, "Let's watch a cartoon." But then when I tell her to do something that she doesn't want to do, all of the sudden it is as though I never said it.

We are that way with God sometimes. It is not that we don't know His will. It is that we don't like His will. But James 4:17 tells us, "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

Do you know something to be the will of God for your life that you are not doing? Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed.
 
 
(Via G reg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

Where to Find Joy

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. ~ Psalm 25:14

People have different views of the will of God. Some imagine the will of God as something that God effectively hides from us, sort of like a divine Easter Bunny who has a golden egg put away somewhere, and as you get closer, just maybe he will give you little hints.

For others, their concept of the will of God is that it is something horrible or undesirable, sort of like a diet. All the things you like to eat are out of the diet, and you can't have any of the good stuff. That is how some people see God. They think it is boring at best and miserable at worst.

Both of these views are incorrect, however. There is joy in being in the will of God. The apostle Paul wrote to Roman believers, "Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other" (Romans 15:32).

Then we are told in Isaiah 55, "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (verse 12).

There is joy and peace in the will of God. And when you are outside the will of God, there is misery and turmoil. The most miserable man or woman is the one who knows what is right and does not do it. He or she is even more miserable than a nonbeliever who has never heard the truth of the Word of God. When you know what is right and are running away from it, your life will be especially hard.

As a believer, you are a friend of God's. And He wants to reveal His will to you.
 
(Via Greg Laurie)
 
Be  Blessed!
 
Dawn

God's Moral Will

8) But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9) The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. —2 Peter 3:8-10


Question: Is there stuff that happens in the world that God doesn’t want to have happen? There’s tons of it. Every day thousands of things happen that God doesn’t want to happen. Yet even though God doesn’t want those things to happen, He uses all of them to make happen what He wants to happen. Even though men make wrong choices, God makes right choices.

Let me show you a passage of Scripture that shows God’s sovereign will together with His moral will. His moral will represents how God has chosen to intervene or not intervene in our daily lives. For example, it says in 2 Peter 3:9, “. . . not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Is that His sovereign will or His moral will? That’s His moral will because though God doesn’t want anyone to perish, some people will perish. Everyone won’t come to repentance.

The moral instructions that fill the Scriptures are expressions of what God wants or doesn’t want us to do. They tell us His moral will. But we disobey His desires for our best and choose what is not good. In the Ten Commandments and in all of His teaching, when God says, “Don’t,” He really means, “Don’t hurt yourselves.” We don’t get to choose about His sovereign will but we do make choices involving God’s moral will every day.

The Bible says a lot about marriage. It’s God’s moral will. And if you want to be in God’s will for your marriage, do His moral will. All of God’s instructions for living make up His moral will.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . .” Everything you need to make wise choices and do the moral will of God is in His Book. You can hear it from me or from someone else, but you need to study and confirm what you hear in God’s Word. All that God desires us to be and do is in the Bible. It’s God’s moral will.

Journal

What examples would I use to tell someone how I know that when God says, “Don’t,” He means, “Don’t hurt yourself?”


Prayer – Father in heaven, thank You that when we become Your children that You give us Your Holy Spirit to help us live up to Your moral will in a way we could never do in our own strength. Thank You for guiding, lifting, changing, and moving us forward toward the likeness of Your Son. Help us to follow the steps Your moral will has given to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
(Via James MacDonald)
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn

God Is Sovereign over Delays

Thursday, March 1, 2012


Read ~ Proverbs 16:9

No one likes to wait, but have you ever wondered why? It's because delays show us that we are not in control. Someone or something else is calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the immediate cause--like a traffic light or the long checkout line--ultimately the One who controls all our delays is the Lord. Since He is sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, even our time and schedules are in His hands.

This means that in every delay, we are actually waiting for God in one way or another. You might have thought that the expression "waiting upon the Lord" applies only to seeking guidance from Him or an answer to prayer. But it can mean so much more when you remember that He controls all your day-to-day inconveniences and frustrations.


In the Christian life, learning to wait is vitally important because until you do, you'll never be able to walk in obedience to God, have an effective prayer life, or experience the peace of resting in His loving sovereignty. We must learn to trust His judgment--about not just the big events in our lives, but also the trivial ones which cause us to become irritated, impatient, or even angry. If we're sensitive to His instruction, each delay has a lesson.

The next time you face an unexpected or unwanted wait, remember that it comes as no surprise to God. He wants to teach you patience and increase your faith. He's more interested in developing godly character than He is in making sure your schedule runs according to your plans.

(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn