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James 1

5/26/2016

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James 1:14
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.”


As I read this today it made me think about how my mind can go off on it's own out of the blue.  The reason we need to open God's word daily is so we can keep our mind renewed.  Our brain is like storage, a computer or just a place we store our stuff. The difference I see is that the storage we use for our stuff is stored until we go and get it or we go and look at it, yet our mind pulls out stored items randomly.  We can access events and memories but sometimes they just come to us and we have no idea why. 

Temptations that we have are already ours and when we don't add the good in to our storage, these temptation will resurface and cloud our thoughts. We must continue to remember that we our new creations and are not stuck by our old thoughts. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” See we need to make sure we fill ourselves with thoughts of Jesus and see what God has for us so those thought overtake the ones the world give us just by living our lives. 

In James chapter 1 verse 15 he says, “These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” See we will sin and fall short sometimes  but when our thoughts of that sin keeps us struggling it is allowed to grow, and it will grow, so let's take every thought captive and keep believing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and renew our thoughts daily so when our random thought pop up unexpectedly we switch our focus on what God has shown us; the new, the truth, and  the love so we continue to grow.

I want to finish by having you read James chapter 1 verses 21-22 and they praying and thanking Him. “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Don't be fooled, be filled with the Spirit and live the way God intended.  Amen

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Galatians 1

5/18/2016

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Galatians 1:10
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

This is something we need to remember everyday as we get ready to start our day.  We can easily get caught up in living each day trying to get the approval of the people around us when in fact we should wake up and say God lead me today to glorify you.  When our focus is on people and their praise it is hard for us to grow and be humble.  Look at what Paul shares in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 2-3, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” As we bind ourselves and let the Spirit lead us we don't need praise from people we can get what the Spirit is showing us. 

As we open up and continue to seek we will find and when we find we will see that our walk is strengthened by Jesus and when we surrender our will we focus on others and their growth, and we do the things that please Him no matter what people might think.  I love how the verse ends, "...If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” See we are Christ servants and are living to please Him, when we forget this it matters what people think and then our focus is wrong and we need people to say good job.  (Don't get me wrong, it is not bad to compliment people or receive a compliment, just always be seeking His approval.)

If we truly pray and ask God to speak for us, and we do what He has shown us, then we shouldn't even think of what people say.  We live with joy because God is pleased with our actions.  In Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 we are told, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” This is hard sometimes and takes us letting go and looking past ourselves to benefit others.  I thank God and ask Him to keep me focused on Him so I can be the best "follower" and "Servant" of Jesus I can be. Let's keep our eyes open and our hearts fixed on being humble and serving together with love.  Amen

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Psalm 94

5/12/2016

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Psalm 94:18-19

“I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”


I saw this today and it jumped out to me because as temporary residents of this place our minds and feelings can shift easily.  We need to remember who our rock is and that He is always there, so as we live we must never forget to go to Him.  We are told in Matthew chapter 11 verse 28, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” See He wants to help us as we go through this crazy world, all we need to do is come to Him. 

We also have the Holy Spirit in us leading us to Him and giving us the strength to move in that direction.  See it is so easy for us to just say I am tired and get depressed but we need to remember the promises that we have in Christ and stay focused on all the good.  In Ephesians chapter 3 verses 16-17 we see what can happen when we stay connected to Him in all ways.  “I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” When you feel tired or feel like slipping remember that He is there, so we need to build on His word and let the Spirit strengthen us so we can be who He created us to be.  Amen

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2  Corinthians 13

5/3/2016

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2 Corinthians 13:8
“For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.”


When we read this we need to remember it is not what we want it to say it is what God has said. We can get caught up in making ourselves feel good and we can even search the word to make us think our sin is ok but we must let God transform us into His image.  Look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 21 “Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.” See we can't guide the truth we must let go and live the truth.

We were all born sinners and have different struggles, but we must remember Jesus' example to surrender His will and only do what the Father tells Him.  See, when we are children we are not aware of the struggles (sin) that are in us but as we grow they will become more evident in our lives.  The amazing thing we must remember is that God so loved the world He sent His one and only Son into the world to bridge the gap between us and God so we have eternal life through Him.
John chapter 3 verses 16-17 say, ““For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”

See when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we receive the Holy Spirit and we become new creations that are no longer slaves to the old sins that kept us controlled.  In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 Paul share this; “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.” The Spirit in us is what guides us and shares with us all truth so as we grow, we develop and as we develop we mature and our lives resemble Christ's.  The truth will set us free not keep us chained so we must open our hearts and keep seeking Him so our minds are renewed and we are not continually tripped up by our sins.  Amen
 

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