Read John 8:23-32
The TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. This verse has been greatly misused and abused by believers and non believers. Indeed, the American CIA office (which makes no claim to be Christian) has these words tiled on the floor in the foyer!
Contextually speaking we need to realise that the words were spoken by Christ to His disciples. In vs 31 Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples....” Notice the conditional ‘if’ in that verse. We are truly a disciple if we hold to Jesus’ teaching. Holding to Jesus’ teaching means agreeing with His teaching, believing it and somewhat more importantly, obeying it. We can never be a true disciple of Jesus if we constantly walk in wilful disobedience. While we all sin and fall, wilful disobedience is a different matter altogether.
As we grow in our faith and mature in our walk with the Lord, He shows us more areas of our life that needs to be conformed to His will and His Word. what a blessing to know that Jesus will not leave us alone but will walk with us and work within us as we journey homeward. Some times that journey may be difficult and fraught with aches and pains. But be assured. God disciplines those He loves. He chastises everyone He accepts as a son.
As we journey with Jesus as a genuine disciple the truth will set us free. The truth will break the bondage and chains of sin. The truth will break the habitual sins that no program can break. The truth will set us free to love the Lord our God with our entire heart and soul and mind and strength.
Prayer:-
V Pray that you will be set free to be a true and genuine disciple of Christ Jesus. Pray that you will see sin minimised in your life .Pray this for others in your congregation. Pray that God will bring healing and wholeness to those in the congregation who are suffering.
V Pray for the work of Straight Talk. Pray that Jim and Faye would be blessed in this ministry by seeing more students come to the Lord for salvation. Pray that God would continue to use them powerfully.
V Tomorrow you will gather for corporate worship. Pray that God would be among you powerfully and that He would do great things among you. Ask the Lord to bless the service, to draw people closer to Himself and to send forth His Word with power. Pray that the Word will achieve the Lord’s desired work and bring much change into people’s lives.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Friday, 29 April 2011
Friday April 29, 2011
Read Colossians 2:8-15
Our bad habits and sinful tendencies are part of our sinful nature. The Bible assures us that we are born in sin and are born with a natural bias away from God. As a believer, though, this is no excuse to accept our sins and to believe that we cannot change or mature or grow in godliness. We should never wallow in our sinfulness and think that change is impossible. Since God dwells within you, change is ALWAYS possible. No sin has mastery over you.
Behind every sin is a wrong or untrue belief or thought. We sin because we have been taken captive by hollow philosophy, traditions or the ways of the world. We sin because our belief system and the truth of Christ Jesus has been skewed somewhat. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden by skewing the truth and allowing them to believe a lie!
One key to victorious living is to realise and verbalise the lies that are behind our sins. We then need to accept that they are lies and trust the truth of Christ that these really are lies. Here are a few lies that we tell ourselves: (See if you can counter each lie with the truth from Scripture):-
B Pornography will help meet all my deepest needs.
B The grass over the fence is really greener.
B I need to have an affair so that I can keep loving my wife.
B I cannot help but indulge all my needs at this point.
B If I have a few drinks I’ll be able to cope better.
B I’ve been hurt so badly I can’t forgive that person.
B My life would be so much easier if I won lotto.
B I can’t make it without the help of drugs.
By telling ourselves lies we are dampening (searing and killing, actually) our God given and God driven conscience and we are opening the door to sin. What we are doing is seeking out a justification or rationale for our intended actions. The lie is the door opener that makes us comfortable enough to take the next step. We will change only when we stop lying to ourselves and start believing the truth. We will be victorious to the degree that we tell ourselves the truth.
Satan, the father of lies, wants nothing more than to dangle a cloak of deception over your eyes. He wants you to continue sinning and feeding your lusts and appetites so that you do not grow and mature as a believer. He wants you to be a self focused, mirror gazing Christian so that you are not out in the world shining the light of Christ Jesus and making disciples.
But read Colossians 2:15 very slowly and carefully in the light of what we’ve been saying today. Christ Jesus died on the cross and defeated the father of lies and all His demonic angels and messengers. The truth has and will set you free. You do not have to believe the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You can break free. The truth will set you free. The truth has and will empower you to live a life of victory, to stand above the lies and half truths and to make choices that glorify God. The chains and shackles of sin have been shattered at the cross. In Christ you are free. In Christ you can live victoriously.
Prayer:-
V Pray for Dave and Kirsty Richards in NZ. Pray that God would surround them with a passionate team of evangelists and disciplers so that they can make a huge impact within the university. Pray that God would bring the elect to them to hear the gospel and grant them repentance and faith.
V Pray that we would see the Bible College students in Myanmar growing in their faith and maturing in their understanding of the Word of God. Pray for resources and teachers to be made available to the students in all the Christian colleges.
There may be attitudes and beliefs that you need to drop and ask God to forgive you for.
Do this now.
Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God when you have asked him for forgiveness.
Our bad habits and sinful tendencies are part of our sinful nature. The Bible assures us that we are born in sin and are born with a natural bias away from God. As a believer, though, this is no excuse to accept our sins and to believe that we cannot change or mature or grow in godliness. We should never wallow in our sinfulness and think that change is impossible. Since God dwells within you, change is ALWAYS possible. No sin has mastery over you.
Behind every sin is a wrong or untrue belief or thought. We sin because we have been taken captive by hollow philosophy, traditions or the ways of the world. We sin because our belief system and the truth of Christ Jesus has been skewed somewhat. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden by skewing the truth and allowing them to believe a lie!
One key to victorious living is to realise and verbalise the lies that are behind our sins. We then need to accept that they are lies and trust the truth of Christ that these really are lies. Here are a few lies that we tell ourselves: (See if you can counter each lie with the truth from Scripture):-
B Pornography will help meet all my deepest needs.
B The grass over the fence is really greener.
B I need to have an affair so that I can keep loving my wife.
B I cannot help but indulge all my needs at this point.
B If I have a few drinks I’ll be able to cope better.
B I’ve been hurt so badly I can’t forgive that person.
B My life would be so much easier if I won lotto.
B I can’t make it without the help of drugs.
By telling ourselves lies we are dampening (searing and killing, actually) our God given and God driven conscience and we are opening the door to sin. What we are doing is seeking out a justification or rationale for our intended actions. The lie is the door opener that makes us comfortable enough to take the next step. We will change only when we stop lying to ourselves and start believing the truth. We will be victorious to the degree that we tell ourselves the truth.
Satan, the father of lies, wants nothing more than to dangle a cloak of deception over your eyes. He wants you to continue sinning and feeding your lusts and appetites so that you do not grow and mature as a believer. He wants you to be a self focused, mirror gazing Christian so that you are not out in the world shining the light of Christ Jesus and making disciples.
But read Colossians 2:15 very slowly and carefully in the light of what we’ve been saying today. Christ Jesus died on the cross and defeated the father of lies and all His demonic angels and messengers. The truth has and will set you free. You do not have to believe the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You do not have to live according to the lies. You can break free. The truth will set you free. The truth has and will empower you to live a life of victory, to stand above the lies and half truths and to make choices that glorify God. The chains and shackles of sin have been shattered at the cross. In Christ you are free. In Christ you can live victoriously.
Prayer:-
V Pray for Dave and Kirsty Richards in NZ. Pray that God would surround them with a passionate team of evangelists and disciplers so that they can make a huge impact within the university. Pray that God would bring the elect to them to hear the gospel and grant them repentance and faith.
V Pray that we would see the Bible College students in Myanmar growing in their faith and maturing in their understanding of the Word of God. Pray for resources and teachers to be made available to the students in all the Christian colleges.
There may be attitudes and beliefs that you need to drop and ask God to forgive you for.
Do this now.
Read 1 John 1:9 and praise God when you have asked him for forgiveness.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Thursday April 28, 2011
Read Galatians 6:7-10
As we think through our choices we need to constantly bear in mind the truth of Galatians 6:7 - a man reaps what he sows. Put into the jargon of choices we could translate it as, ‘We reap the reward of our choices’.
A good question to ask yourself as you face a choice to make (even the little choices that we think are inconsequential) is, ‘What will be the outcome of the choice I make? This self asking takes time to develop and feels, initially, somewhat superficial but it quickly becomes life changing. I learnt this the hard way. After a particularly difficult week I came home and was angry and annoyed. My wife and I were about to have an argument about something which was so irrelevant it probably isn’t worth mentioning. I asked myself this very question - What will be the outcome of the choice I make? If I retaliate and react we’ll argue. We’ll say hurtful things. We’ll have a miserable evening and go to bed with a brick wall between us. If I don’t react but rather reach out in love and reconciliation (even if I’m at fault, even if I’m not at fault) we can have a wonderful evening. We can have fun and bless each other. At that critical moment the choice I would make, independent of my wife, would have good or bad ramifications. After a quick prayer I softly said, ‘Hey we don't’ have to fight and argue’. My wife agreed and the issue was dealt with without even a raised tone. The evening was blessed not battered.
A man reaps what he sows. Every thing I do, say or think about has implications and ramifications. I’m so pleased that God promises to forgive us for the bad choices we make. As the song says, ’I’ve done all the dumb things!’. But through it all, I’ve learned that God forgives, but He doesn’t always remove the consequences. A man really does reap what he sows. If I speak a harsh word to my spouse, God will forgive me and she will too but it will take time to heal and to trust me completely. A man reaps what he sows. If I bring flowers home to my wife for no other reason than to say ‘I love you,’ the consequences will flow outwards. If I take time to listen to her and empathise with her rather than criticising her for not having dinner ready, I will reap what I sow.
Let me illustrate once more with an issue that may hurt. We often believe that what I think about has no consequences and that I can think about, daydream or meditate on what I want. But as Romans 12:1-3 and Philippians 4:8 make exceedingly clear, even my thoughts have consequences.
Here’s a truth worth writing on your heart. The sin I commit in the afternoon is probably the result of my thoughts earlier on. If I am viewing pornography late at night, it’s probably because I was lusting and fantasizing earlier. If I steal at the shops on the way home, it’s probably because I was lamenting how poor I am. If I speak hurtful words to my spouse it’s probably because I was dwelling on all the things she’s done wrong and the negatives. The sin I commit in the afternoon is probably the result of my thoughts earlier on. Even my thoughts have consequences. A man reaps what he sows. What you reap tomorrow begins with what you sow today.
Prayer:-
V Meditate on Galatians 6:7-10. Spend time praising God for this truth. Ask Him to show you how this has been true in your own life.
V Pray for the work of student life. Ask God to use the men and women in that organisation to bring about a nation wide spiritual movement among uni students. Pray that many will come to the faith through these men and women.
PRAYER:
Prayer is vital to change. Prayer is talking to God. When you pray throughout this work book you will be asked to pray out loud. You will be encouraged from this time forth to speak audibly during prayer rather than just thinking things in your mind. You are also asked to make prayer a daily priority. Let nothing move you away from praying.
Read Romans 8:1 and spend time praising God for your own justification.
As we think through our choices we need to constantly bear in mind the truth of Galatians 6:7 - a man reaps what he sows. Put into the jargon of choices we could translate it as, ‘We reap the reward of our choices’.
A good question to ask yourself as you face a choice to make (even the little choices that we think are inconsequential) is, ‘What will be the outcome of the choice I make? This self asking takes time to develop and feels, initially, somewhat superficial but it quickly becomes life changing. I learnt this the hard way. After a particularly difficult week I came home and was angry and annoyed. My wife and I were about to have an argument about something which was so irrelevant it probably isn’t worth mentioning. I asked myself this very question - What will be the outcome of the choice I make? If I retaliate and react we’ll argue. We’ll say hurtful things. We’ll have a miserable evening and go to bed with a brick wall between us. If I don’t react but rather reach out in love and reconciliation (even if I’m at fault, even if I’m not at fault) we can have a wonderful evening. We can have fun and bless each other. At that critical moment the choice I would make, independent of my wife, would have good or bad ramifications. After a quick prayer I softly said, ‘Hey we don't’ have to fight and argue’. My wife agreed and the issue was dealt with without even a raised tone. The evening was blessed not battered.
A man reaps what he sows. Every thing I do, say or think about has implications and ramifications. I’m so pleased that God promises to forgive us for the bad choices we make. As the song says, ’I’ve done all the dumb things!’. But through it all, I’ve learned that God forgives, but He doesn’t always remove the consequences. A man really does reap what he sows. If I speak a harsh word to my spouse, God will forgive me and she will too but it will take time to heal and to trust me completely. A man reaps what he sows. If I bring flowers home to my wife for no other reason than to say ‘I love you,’ the consequences will flow outwards. If I take time to listen to her and empathise with her rather than criticising her for not having dinner ready, I will reap what I sow.
Let me illustrate once more with an issue that may hurt. We often believe that what I think about has no consequences and that I can think about, daydream or meditate on what I want. But as Romans 12:1-3 and Philippians 4:8 make exceedingly clear, even my thoughts have consequences.
Here’s a truth worth writing on your heart. The sin I commit in the afternoon is probably the result of my thoughts earlier on. If I am viewing pornography late at night, it’s probably because I was lusting and fantasizing earlier. If I steal at the shops on the way home, it’s probably because I was lamenting how poor I am. If I speak hurtful words to my spouse it’s probably because I was dwelling on all the things she’s done wrong and the negatives. The sin I commit in the afternoon is probably the result of my thoughts earlier on. Even my thoughts have consequences. A man reaps what he sows. What you reap tomorrow begins with what you sow today.
Prayer:-
V Meditate on Galatians 6:7-10. Spend time praising God for this truth. Ask Him to show you how this has been true in your own life.
V Pray for the work of student life. Ask God to use the men and women in that organisation to bring about a nation wide spiritual movement among uni students. Pray that many will come to the faith through these men and women.
PRAYER:
Prayer is vital to change. Prayer is talking to God. When you pray throughout this work book you will be asked to pray out loud. You will be encouraged from this time forth to speak audibly during prayer rather than just thinking things in your mind. You are also asked to make prayer a daily priority. Let nothing move you away from praying.
Read Romans 8:1 and spend time praising God for your own justification.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Wednesday April 27, 2011
Read Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Living victoriously begins with the choices we make. Some of those choices are big and have far reaching ramifications - the school we send our kids to, the job we take, the person we choose to marry and so on. But these are not the choices I am talking about, important as they are.
Each and every single day we make a million and one choices that, though they seem insignificant and somewhat irrelevant, have far reaching implications about how we will shine the light of Jesus and the degree to which we will live in victory.
Let me illustrate. I search for a lot of pictures on my office computer. Every now and then (even with words like worship, praise etc) a picture of a naked or semi naked lady will appear in the thumb nails. At that point I have a choice to make. I can delete the screen or sit and stare at this beautiful woman. No one will know what choice I make... except God. If I choose the former, I am choosing to walk with integrity. I can then talk to the other staff and interact with them with full and complete integrity. I know that God is pleased and will bless my choices. If, however, I choose to stare and lust I am sinning before God and have lost integrity. I can no longer speak to others and mix with integrity. I have created a barrier between myself and God and between myself and those around me. At that point I need to make a choice. Even before I get to searching for pictures, I need to make choices. Do I set the screen filter to high, medium or low? Do I turn my computer around so everyone can see what’s on it? Do I put extra filters on my computer? These are not admissions of guilt but wise considerations to make good, wholesome, God honouring choices.
Each and every day you have a squid-zillion choices to make. What do I think about now that I have a spare 10 minutes? How do I approach that lady I don’t really like? How do I speak to my son or daughter? Do I honour my parents or disobey them and do what I want? Do I speed to get to the meeting on time? Do I run the red light? Do I watch that TV show that has naked people and regular sex scenes? Do I yell at my spouse or forgive her? Do I put that person down or build her up? As an exercise carry a pen and paper with you (or an iphone etc) for the entire day and jot down all the choices you make in a single day. At the end of the day, analyse each choice to see if it was godly or not. What does it tell you about the choices you are making?
The wonderfully reassuring truth is that God has given you the ability and the power to choose that which pleases Him. You have the God given power to choose wisely and to say no to unwise, ungodly options. You do not have to go down that same old path again. You do not have to sin. It’s sobering to remember that when you sin, satan did not make you sin. You were not forced to sin by the circumstances. You chose to sin. I chose NOT to sin. BUT you can choose NOT to sin as well.
Prayer:-
V Read 1 John 1:9 and confess some of the bad choices you have made. Spend time rejoicing in God’s forgiveness and purification.
Pray that your brothers and sisters in the congregation would be making godly choices as well.
Living victoriously begins with the choices we make. Some of those choices are big and have far reaching ramifications - the school we send our kids to, the job we take, the person we choose to marry and so on. But these are not the choices I am talking about, important as they are.
Each and every single day we make a million and one choices that, though they seem insignificant and somewhat irrelevant, have far reaching implications about how we will shine the light of Jesus and the degree to which we will live in victory.
Let me illustrate. I search for a lot of pictures on my office computer. Every now and then (even with words like worship, praise etc) a picture of a naked or semi naked lady will appear in the thumb nails. At that point I have a choice to make. I can delete the screen or sit and stare at this beautiful woman. No one will know what choice I make... except God. If I choose the former, I am choosing to walk with integrity. I can then talk to the other staff and interact with them with full and complete integrity. I know that God is pleased and will bless my choices. If, however, I choose to stare and lust I am sinning before God and have lost integrity. I can no longer speak to others and mix with integrity. I have created a barrier between myself and God and between myself and those around me. At that point I need to make a choice. Even before I get to searching for pictures, I need to make choices. Do I set the screen filter to high, medium or low? Do I turn my computer around so everyone can see what’s on it? Do I put extra filters on my computer? These are not admissions of guilt but wise considerations to make good, wholesome, God honouring choices.
Each and every day you have a squid-zillion choices to make. What do I think about now that I have a spare 10 minutes? How do I approach that lady I don’t really like? How do I speak to my son or daughter? Do I honour my parents or disobey them and do what I want? Do I speed to get to the meeting on time? Do I run the red light? Do I watch that TV show that has naked people and regular sex scenes? Do I yell at my spouse or forgive her? Do I put that person down or build her up? As an exercise carry a pen and paper with you (or an iphone etc) for the entire day and jot down all the choices you make in a single day. At the end of the day, analyse each choice to see if it was godly or not. What does it tell you about the choices you are making?
The wonderfully reassuring truth is that God has given you the ability and the power to choose that which pleases Him. You have the God given power to choose wisely and to say no to unwise, ungodly options. You do not have to go down that same old path again. You do not have to sin. It’s sobering to remember that when you sin, satan did not make you sin. You were not forced to sin by the circumstances. You chose to sin. I chose NOT to sin. BUT you can choose NOT to sin as well.
Prayer:-
V Read 1 John 1:9 and confess some of the bad choices you have made. Spend time rejoicing in God’s forgiveness and purification.
Pray that your brothers and sisters in the congregation would be making godly choices as well.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Tuesday April 26, 2011.
A Man Reaps What He Sows
Read Psalm 46, especially verse 10
Being still before the Lord is a great habit to get into. It’s vital if we are going to live a life of victory and impact.
As you begin to work through this study on 2 Peter 1, make it your daily goal to keep a spiritual diary. This is as simple as keeping a note book and a pen handy in the place where you will regularly be praying. However, using a computer or phone is very handy as well because you can keep your diary with you and use the MP3 player functions to include music and praise in your quiet time with God. TAKE NOTE: Your level of victory and impact is directly correlated to your relationship with your Lord. If you have a shallow relationship with the Lord, you will have a mediocre Christian light. If you are growing deeper with God on a daily basis, you will also be growing in victory and impact. The two work together. You simply cannot have one without the other.
Please allow me to challenge you, to exhort you and to ___________ you (insert whatever word totally motivates you) to keep a spiritual diary for the duration of this series. You can reassess afterwards.
In your diary, you should include all the things that are relevant between you and God. While there are many formats for your diary, a simple layout such as the following would be helpful. If you are using a phone or a computer you can simply type out a blank page with the headings and copy it from day to day as you use it. If you are using pen and paper, write out one blank page with headings and photocopy it to use as needed each day.
PTO to page 6 to see a format for a daily prayer diary.
Use the diary daily to sit quietly with God, to learn and to grow with Him. Make it your priority to be in His presence each and every day. Some days I finish work and all family things at 11:00pm or later. The last thing I want to do is to spend another hour reading and praying. However, almost invariably that time spent with God is motivating, life changing and worth the extra time awake. I have never regretted spending that time with God even after a long arduous and tiring day.
Prayer:-
V Pray for the India Mission team as we prepare to finalise the team and to meet regularly to prepare for the trip. Pray that God would hand pick the team and build a strong sense of unity and oneness. Pray that our mission would be adopted by each team member and that we would have a powerful impact in India.
V Pray for the Burma mission team. Ask God to raise up the team, to open doors to serve at Mustard Seed Orphanage and to teach the Bible College students deeply about the Lord from the Scriptures.
These reading notes will fit into your prayer diary in the Passage section. But don’t settle just for these notes. Read wider and get some in depth material to push you at your level.
These prayer points can simply be added to your own prayer points in the supplication (a big word for ‘ask’) section of your prayers.
Read Psalm 46, especially verse 10
Being still before the Lord is a great habit to get into. It’s vital if we are going to live a life of victory and impact.
As you begin to work through this study on 2 Peter 1, make it your daily goal to keep a spiritual diary. This is as simple as keeping a note book and a pen handy in the place where you will regularly be praying. However, using a computer or phone is very handy as well because you can keep your diary with you and use the MP3 player functions to include music and praise in your quiet time with God. TAKE NOTE: Your level of victory and impact is directly correlated to your relationship with your Lord. If you have a shallow relationship with the Lord, you will have a mediocre Christian light. If you are growing deeper with God on a daily basis, you will also be growing in victory and impact. The two work together. You simply cannot have one without the other.
Please allow me to challenge you, to exhort you and to ___________ you (insert whatever word totally motivates you) to keep a spiritual diary for the duration of this series. You can reassess afterwards.
In your diary, you should include all the things that are relevant between you and God. While there are many formats for your diary, a simple layout such as the following would be helpful. If you are using a phone or a computer you can simply type out a blank page with the headings and copy it from day to day as you use it. If you are using pen and paper, write out one blank page with headings and photocopy it to use as needed each day.
PTO to page 6 to see a format for a daily prayer diary.
Use the diary daily to sit quietly with God, to learn and to grow with Him. Make it your priority to be in His presence each and every day. Some days I finish work and all family things at 11:00pm or later. The last thing I want to do is to spend another hour reading and praying. However, almost invariably that time spent with God is motivating, life changing and worth the extra time awake. I have never regretted spending that time with God even after a long arduous and tiring day.
Prayer:-
V Pray for the India Mission team as we prepare to finalise the team and to meet regularly to prepare for the trip. Pray that God would hand pick the team and build a strong sense of unity and oneness. Pray that our mission would be adopted by each team member and that we would have a powerful impact in India.
V Pray for the Burma mission team. Ask God to raise up the team, to open doors to serve at Mustard Seed Orphanage and to teach the Bible College students deeply about the Lord from the Scriptures.
These reading notes will fit into your prayer diary in the Passage section. But don’t settle just for these notes. Read wider and get some in depth material to push you at your level.
These prayer points can simply be added to your own prayer points in the supplication (a big word for ‘ask’) section of your prayers.
Monday, 25 April 2011
Monday April 25, 2011
INTRO
Read Philippians 2:12
Do you want to be victorious in Christ day by day? Do you want to see those sinful habits, thoughts and actions disappear? Do you wan to be in step with the Holy Spirit day by day and have God use you mightily at work, at home and in your circle of friends? If you’ve answered a hearty “Yes” then be assured Change is Possible. Victory Can Be Yours. If you’ve half heartedly shrugged your shoulders and thought something like, “I’m not sure, really” then you’ll continue to struggle with sin and lead a mediocre Christian existence.
As you begin to work through this series on Victorious Living make up your mind to be honest. Be honest with God and be honest with yourself. To date, you may have tried many remedies, many ‘try harder’ schemes, many different approaches to change and victory, but nothing has worked! You may have received much counsel, much wise advise, but again , to no avail. It’s quite possible that many of these helpful ministries have failed because you have failed to be honest, either with yourself or with God.
Let me encourage you to be honest with yourself. By this I mean look fairly and justly at yourself without over or under exaggerating. What ever the issue is you have to deal with, deal with it honestly. Stop justifying your behaviour. Cease explaining it away. Pull down the barriers to change rather than accepting them or erecting them. Jack, for example, was always denying he had a problem with excessive abuse (with his wife, Jill). When confronted with his sinfulness he would always justify his actions - ’I wouldn’t have to yell at her if she didn’t….’. According to Jack his behaviour was justified by his wife’s behaviour. He couldn’t and wouldn’t change until he stopped this course of justifying his own actions. Jill, on the other hand, always refused to look honestly at herself. Every time she became the topic of conversation she put herself down. She constantly erected barriers (mainly within herself, but not always) that stopped her from loving and accepting herself. In reality, Jill had a wonderful personality, was rather attractive and smarter than the average bear. But Jill refused to love herself. She built up barriers to stop the hurt of Jack’s constant tirade of verbal abuse. Jill could not and would not change until she stopped putting up barriers.
Let me also encourage you to be honest with God. It’s not as scary as it seems. God, for one, knows everything about you, what you do, where you do it and why. Read Psalm 139 and jot down on a blank sheet of paper how much God knows about you. When you do something you are ashamed of, you don’t need to hide from God You don’t need to pretend with God and try to manipulate or trick him. He knows it all. What He wants is honest, open confession and acceptance of His ongoing love and forgiveness.
Added to this, you need to decide once for all whether or not you really believe what God says in His Word. True belief is that kind of belief that changes our actions. If I truly believe that my house will fall down in the storm I will take my family to safety. If it’s just a passing thought or a half hearted belief, I will do nothing for my family. True belief is that kind of belief that changes our actions. Before you read any further, answer the questions below. Write down the answer. Be honest and open with yourself and with God. If you are afraid of someone seeing your answers, write them down on a separate sheet of paper and hide the sheet. But I ask you to write down the answers so that you are forced to think about what you really believe.
SURVEY
1/. Do you believe that God’s Word is true for you? Why/Why not?
2/. Do you believe that the promises in the Bible apply to you personally? Why or why not?
3/. Do you feel loved by God? Why or why not?
4/. How do you know that God loves you?
5/. What is making you feel unloved by God?
6/. If God were to write a sentence about you, what would He write?
7/. I am struggling with....
8/. Describe how you would like to be.
9/. What things are, or have been, stopping you from changing?
10/. What fears do you have about changing?
Read Philippians 2:12
Do you want to be victorious in Christ day by day? Do you want to see those sinful habits, thoughts and actions disappear? Do you wan to be in step with the Holy Spirit day by day and have God use you mightily at work, at home and in your circle of friends? If you’ve answered a hearty “Yes” then be assured Change is Possible. Victory Can Be Yours. If you’ve half heartedly shrugged your shoulders and thought something like, “I’m not sure, really” then you’ll continue to struggle with sin and lead a mediocre Christian existence.
As you begin to work through this series on Victorious Living make up your mind to be honest. Be honest with God and be honest with yourself. To date, you may have tried many remedies, many ‘try harder’ schemes, many different approaches to change and victory, but nothing has worked! You may have received much counsel, much wise advise, but again , to no avail. It’s quite possible that many of these helpful ministries have failed because you have failed to be honest, either with yourself or with God.
Let me encourage you to be honest with yourself. By this I mean look fairly and justly at yourself without over or under exaggerating. What ever the issue is you have to deal with, deal with it honestly. Stop justifying your behaviour. Cease explaining it away. Pull down the barriers to change rather than accepting them or erecting them. Jack, for example, was always denying he had a problem with excessive abuse (with his wife, Jill). When confronted with his sinfulness he would always justify his actions - ’I wouldn’t have to yell at her if she didn’t….’. According to Jack his behaviour was justified by his wife’s behaviour. He couldn’t and wouldn’t change until he stopped this course of justifying his own actions. Jill, on the other hand, always refused to look honestly at herself. Every time she became the topic of conversation she put herself down. She constantly erected barriers (mainly within herself, but not always) that stopped her from loving and accepting herself. In reality, Jill had a wonderful personality, was rather attractive and smarter than the average bear. But Jill refused to love herself. She built up barriers to stop the hurt of Jack’s constant tirade of verbal abuse. Jill could not and would not change until she stopped putting up barriers.
Let me also encourage you to be honest with God. It’s not as scary as it seems. God, for one, knows everything about you, what you do, where you do it and why. Read Psalm 139 and jot down on a blank sheet of paper how much God knows about you. When you do something you are ashamed of, you don’t need to hide from God You don’t need to pretend with God and try to manipulate or trick him. He knows it all. What He wants is honest, open confession and acceptance of His ongoing love and forgiveness.
Added to this, you need to decide once for all whether or not you really believe what God says in His Word. True belief is that kind of belief that changes our actions. If I truly believe that my house will fall down in the storm I will take my family to safety. If it’s just a passing thought or a half hearted belief, I will do nothing for my family. True belief is that kind of belief that changes our actions. Before you read any further, answer the questions below. Write down the answer. Be honest and open with yourself and with God. If you are afraid of someone seeing your answers, write them down on a separate sheet of paper and hide the sheet. But I ask you to write down the answers so that you are forced to think about what you really believe.
SURVEY
1/. Do you believe that God’s Word is true for you? Why/Why not?
2/. Do you believe that the promises in the Bible apply to you personally? Why or why not?
3/. Do you feel loved by God? Why or why not?
4/. How do you know that God loves you?
5/. What is making you feel unloved by God?
6/. If God were to write a sentence about you, what would He write?
7/. I am struggling with....
8/. Describe how you would like to be.
9/. What things are, or have been, stopping you from changing?
10/. What fears do you have about changing?
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Easter Saturday April 23 - A New Normal
To be “in Christ” is to share in His life, in His death, and in His resurrection.
Read: Romans 6:1-11
After my doctor announced that I had cancer, I tried to listen to what he said, but I couldn’t. I went home, pulled a blanket over my head, and fell asleep on the couch, as if sleeping could change the diagnosis.
When I finally gained enough strength to tell my loved ones, my friend Judy Schreur said something especially memorable. After expressing her sympathy, she said, “This is what will happen. You will feel really bad for 3 days. Then you will get up, figure out what you have to do, and get on with your life.” Then she added, “I think it has to do with death, burial and resurrection”.
At the time, I didn’t believe it. I was sure that life as I knew it was over. Nothing would ever be the same again. But she was right. Three days later I woke up and realized that I didn’t feel quite so bad. And little by little, despite the physical misery of chemotherapy treatments, my emotional and spiritual condition improved significantly. I “died” to my old reality and was “raised” to a new normal.
Thankfully, God is in the business of resurrection. For those who have died in Christ, the death of one reality means resurrection to a new, glorious normal so that we can “walk in newness of life”, Rms 6:4. - Julie Ackerman Link
Jesus redeemed us and died in our stead;
In Him we died and rose from the dead.
No longer is death a thing that we dread;
The old is behind us, the new is ahead. - D. De Haan
PRAYER:-
³ Ask God to bless this Easter weekend with a great outpouring of His Holy Spirit so that believers would be excited and passionate about Him and that non believers come to him in faith and repentance.
Read: Romans 6:1-11
After my doctor announced that I had cancer, I tried to listen to what he said, but I couldn’t. I went home, pulled a blanket over my head, and fell asleep on the couch, as if sleeping could change the diagnosis.
When I finally gained enough strength to tell my loved ones, my friend Judy Schreur said something especially memorable. After expressing her sympathy, she said, “This is what will happen. You will feel really bad for 3 days. Then you will get up, figure out what you have to do, and get on with your life.” Then she added, “I think it has to do with death, burial and resurrection”.
At the time, I didn’t believe it. I was sure that life as I knew it was over. Nothing would ever be the same again. But she was right. Three days later I woke up and realized that I didn’t feel quite so bad. And little by little, despite the physical misery of chemotherapy treatments, my emotional and spiritual condition improved significantly. I “died” to my old reality and was “raised” to a new normal.
Thankfully, God is in the business of resurrection. For those who have died in Christ, the death of one reality means resurrection to a new, glorious normal so that we can “walk in newness of life”, Rms 6:4. - Julie Ackerman Link
Jesus redeemed us and died in our stead;
In Him we died and rose from the dead.
No longer is death a thing that we dread;
The old is behind us, the new is ahead. - D. De Haan
PRAYER:-
³ Ask God to bless this Easter weekend with a great outpouring of His Holy Spirit so that believers would be excited and passionate about Him and that non believers come to him in faith and repentance.
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