to live...

February 12, 2009
Liberated to Live
Psalm 22:5

History is replete with stories of slaveholders who dominated the helpless, and wicked rulers who tyrannized entire people groups. These are obvious cases of bondage. Less evident--but damaging nonetheless--are the widespread instances of enslavement to emotional wounds and sinful acts, habits, and attitudes. People oppressed in this way cannot break free.

Thankfully, Christ came to earth to release us from captivity to sin. He said of Himself: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . He has sent me to . . . to set free those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18, 21).

How can you take advantage of this terrific offer of freedom? The first step is to recognize that you are controlled by a spiritual problem known as sin. Second, trace its roots, if possible--ask, Why do I indulge to the point that I am mastered by this temptation? Some possible answers are insecurity, fear of failure, pride, and past abuse. Third, choose freedom. Trust the Lord to help, and believe that His Holy Spirit will enable you to do whatever is necessary. God does not want His children enslaved; He wants them free to live (John 10:10). Fourth, cry out to Him for help.

God will answer by acting in your best interest. Perhaps that means freeing you immediately. Or He may decide that the best process for you will take time, in which case a struggle might lie ahead. Either way, you can be certain that the Father knows what is optimal for each of His children. His chosen course of action will enable you to experience freedom and abundance.

the faith...

THE ULTIMATE FAITH-OBJECT

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever

The fact that you claim to believe is not the issue of faith. It's what you believe or in whom you believe that will determine whether or not your faith will be rewarded. Everybody walks by faith every day. Every time you drive on the highway, you do so by faith. Are the objects of your faith on the highway reliable? Most of the time they are because most drivers drive safely. But you may have been involved in an accident because you placed your faith in another driver who proved to be untrustworthy.

What happens when the object of your faith fails you? You give up on it--maybe not immediately, but how many failures would you tolerate before saying never again? Once faith is damaged or lost, it is very difficult to regain. Your belief isn't the problem; it's the object of your belief that either rewards or destroys your f aith. If your marriage partner has been unfaithful to you, or a friend or relative has hurt you badly, your faith in that person is weak because he or she did not live up to your trust. When faith in a person is shattered, it may take months to rebuild it.

Some faith-objects, however, are solid. You set your watch, plan your calendar, and schedule your day believing that the earth will continue to revolve on its axis and rotate around the sun at its current speed. If the earth's orbit shifted just a few degrees, our lives would be turned to chaos. But so far the laws governing the physical universe have been among the most trustworthy faith-objects we have.

The ultimate faith-object, of course, is not the sun, but the Son. It is His immutability--the fact that He never changes--that makes Him eminently trustworthy (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6). He has never failed to be and do all that He said He would be and do. He is eternally faithful.

Prayer:

All I have needed Your hand has provided. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

blind or not...

COMBATING SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

1 John 5:14, 15
If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him

There are several specific needs which we should consider as targets for prayer in spiritual warfare. One need relates to the condition of blindness which Satan has inflicted on unbelievers (1 Corinthians 4:3, 4). People cannot come to Christ unless their spiritual eyes are opened. Theodore Epp wrote, "If Satan has blinded and bound men and women, how can we ever see souls saved? This is where you and I enter the picture. Spoiling the goods of the strong man has to do with liberating those whom Satan has blinded and is keeping bound. . . . This is where prayer comes in."

Prayer is a primary weapon in combating spiritual blindness. The apostle John wrote: "If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (1 John 5:14, 15). Then he immediately challenged believers to apply this principle by asking God to bring life to unbelievers (verse 16). Our evangelistic strategy must include authoritative prayer that God's light would penetrate satanic blindness.

We also need to pray, as Paul did in Ephesians 1:18, 19, that the eyes of believers may be enlightened to understand the spiritual power, authority and protection which is our inheritance in Christ. As long as Satan can keep us in the dark about our position and authority in Christ, he can keep us stunted in our growth and ineffectual in our witness and ministry. We need to pray for each other continually that Satan's smoke screen of lies will be blown away and that our vision into the spiritual realm will be crystal clear.

Prayer:

Lord, remind me frequently to pray against the deception which the enemy uses to block my vision of Your will for my life.

The fire...

Rekindling the Fire
John 10:10

The Lord created us to live passionately for Him. In that way, we enjoy the blessings of an intimate relationship with our Creator. But there are other benefits as well. Just as the warmth and beauty of flames draw people toward the fireplace, God also uses our passion to draw others to Himself.

So, not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others, we must be careful not to let our fervor toward God fade. Thankfully, the indwelling Holy Spirit nudges believers who start to head in the wrong direction. If you sense this to be the case, you can take several steps to realign yourself with Him.

First, evaluate where you are spiritually--ask God whether your fire has grown cold. Second, acknowledge any distance you have allowed to separate you from your heavenly Father, and repent. Third, refocus your attention on Jesus; meditate on how He teaches His followers to live. Spend quality time in Scripture daily, asking the Lord to speak to you through His Word. Pray, not by using fancy words but by crying out earnestly and seeking God's face. Fourth, rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide you back to an intimate and exciting relationship with the Father. Finally, love and serve God by worshiping Him and reaching out to others.

What occupies your time and attention? Do your thoughts and conversation tend to revolve around worldly topics or the things of God? If your fire for Christ has dwindled, take the necessary steps today to renew your passion. Living closely with Him is well worth the effort and discipline.

again to live........

February 7-8, 2009
Living by Faith
Romans 1:16-17

In Scripture, we read that strong faith is essential for facing life's uncertainties. It prompts us to look beyond our trials to the One who's promised to guide and sustain us.

As trust in the Lord increases, obedience becomes a higher priority than pleasure or profit. Moses' life illustrates this--he chose to forsake the advantage of Egyptian royalty in order to be identified with God's people. Placing his future in the Almighty's hands, he became the Israelites' leader and gave precedence to the Lord's interests over his own.

As devotion deepens, a second outcome is spiritual discernment--believers develop an ability to look beyond the external appearance to see things as God does. The attractiveness of sin will decrease, and its offer of satisfaction will be recognized as false. At the same time, eternal matters will become more valuable to us. Moses left his livelihood of 40 years to become God's appointed leader. Pursuing the Lord's plan became more important than anything else in his life. Despite his misgivings and sense of inadequacy, he placed trust in his heavenly Father.

Finally, a growing faith will not permit misunderstandings and criticisms to deter us from pursuing God's plan. The Hebrew slaves didn't make it easy for Moses to lead, but his beliefs enabled him to move forward.

The Hebrew leader's faith became the defining quality of his life. The Lord wants the same to be true of you. By trusting God deeply, you, like Moses, will be able to meet each day's challenges with courage and determination.

to live

BEYOND THE BOUNDARY

1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything

Most of us won't often be tempted to commit obvious sins such as armed robbery, murder or rape. Satan's tack is to entice us to push something good beyond the boundary of the will of God until it becomes sin. He treats us like the proverbial frog in the pot of water: gradually turning up the heat of temptation, hoping we don't notice that we are approaching the boundary of God's will and jump out before something good becomes sin.

Everything is good and lawful for us because we are free from sin and no longer under the condemnation of the law. But the following statements reveal how we can wrongly take good things beyond the boundary of God's will:

physical rest becomes laziness ability to profit becomes avarice and greed enjoyment of life becomes intemperance physical pleasure becomes sensuality interest in the possessions of others becomes covetousness enjoyment of food becomes gluttony self-care becomes selfishness self-respect becomes conceit communication becomes gossip cautiousness becomes unbelief anger becomes rage and bad temper lovingkindness becomes overprotection judgment becomes criticism same-sex friendship becomes homosexuality sexual freedom becomes immorality conscientiousness becomes perfectionism generosity becomes wastefulness self-protection becomes dishonesty carefulness becomes fear

Prayer:

Lord, I seek Your balance in my life today to do what is profitable without being mastered by anything, even good things.

to know.......

February 6, 2009
Facing Life's Unknowns
Hebrews 11:23-29

Uncertain circumstances characterized Moses' whole life. He was born in Egypt, at a time when the growing Hebrew population was seen as a threat. The king enslaved the community and had their male infants killed (Ex. 1:22; 2:1-4). To protect Moses, his family let others raise him as an Egyptian.

As a grown man, he had to flee the land and live far from home (Ex. 2:11-15). Later, in a personal encounter with God, Moses learned that he was the Lord's chosen leader of the Israelite slaves (Ex. 3). In this new role--for which he felt ill-equipped--he had to approach Pharaoh to request his people's release. And then imagine how he must have questioned his ability to lead more than a million people while contending with their ingratitude and rebelliousness.

Yet Moses steadfastly carried on. Scripture tells us that what enabled him to persevere was faith, which Hebrews 11:1 defines as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (niv). Moses had learned how to see "Him who is unseen" (Heb. 11:27). As a result, he was able to grasp the reality of his invisible God's character and promises. Since encountering the Lord at the burning bush (Ex. 3:2), he viewed life differently: his new purpose was to rely on God and follow His plan.

Though Moses did not live perfectly, the Scriptures commend him for walking by faith. From his example, we can learn how to persevere through life's unknowns. And with the Holy Spirit's help, we, too, can become people of great faith.

Totul trece....fiti buni unii cu altii

Stiu ca toti avem multe chestii pe cap...probleme de tot felul...scoala, stres, examene, mersul la serviciu in fiecare zi sau nu , depinde (........), insa opriti-va o clipa si meditati. Totul e in van, totul e goana dupa vant, insa ceea ce facem pentru El ramane in veci. Traiti frumos in liniste si in pace, iubiti si veti primi iubire, rugati-va mereu....Timpul trece asa de repede ,incat de multe ori nu ne dam seama ca multe lucruri nu le-am facut deloc sau ca puteam sa le facem altfel...E important sa stii ca esti un copil al lui Dumnezeu , ca El te iunbeste si ca viata ta e in mana Lui...Fiti binecuvantati de bunul Dumnezeu cu toate binecuvantarile Lui !!! Va pup...

The essence

THE ESSENCE OF TEMPTATION

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin

I have found that many Christians struggle with the distinction between temptation and sin. Bombarded by tempting thoughts, they conclude that there must be something pretty sick about them. But even Jesus was "tempted in all things as we are." But finish the verse: "Yet without sin." As long as we are in the world, we are exposed to temptation just like Jesus was. But He didn't sin, and we don't have to sin either (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The basis for temptation is legitimate human needs. We will either look to the world, the flesh and the devil to have our needs met, or we will look to Christ who promises to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19). The essence of temptation is the invitation to live independently of God.

The power of temptation depends on the strength of the strongholds which have been developed in our minds as we learned to live independently of God. If you were raised in a Christian home where magazines and television programs of questionable moral value were not allowed, the power of sexual temptation in your life will not be as great as for someone who grew up exposed to pornographic materials. Why? Because your legitimate need to be loved and accepted was met by parents who also protected you from exposure to illegitimate means of meeting your needs. The person who grew up in an environment of immorality may experience a greater struggle with sexual temptation simply because that stronghold in the mind was well-established before he was born again.

Jesus was tempted to meet His own physical needs by using His divine attributes independently of the Father to turn a rock into bread. But instead He responded, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). We also must respond to temptation by relying on God to meet our needs

Faith....

Sharing Our Faith
1 John 4:14-15

We live in a world that seeks to function apart from the Lord. Its attention is centered on man and his desires. The tragedy is that people without Christ are under God's judgment for all eternity. This includes those who attend church but do not have a personal relationship with the Savior (Matt. 7:21-23).

As Christ's ambassadors, believers are to be prepared to share the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). Here are five words to help us remember key points about God's good news:

Need--Because of sin, everyone starts out separated from the Lord (Rom. 3:10). The need is for someone who can correct this impasse and reconcile us to the Father. It is crucial for people to recognize that something is seriously wrong between them and God--and in fact, that without divine intervention, sin is an insurmountable problem.

Provision--Once the need is recognized, we can talk about God's provision. He sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior. Only Christ could pay the debt we owe for our sins.

Cost--For man, salvation is a free gift. But it was costly to God, who had to sacrifice His Son upon the cross in our place (Rom. 6:23).

Faith--Trusting in Jesus is the only way to salvation. There are no substitutes (John 14:6).

Assurance--At salvation, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Through Him, we have the absolute assurance that we are God's children and will spend eternity with Him.

Regularly take time to speak to others about what matters most. The most important issue in life is a relationship with God throug

Just me...

HOW WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES

Romans 8:16, 17
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ

Lydia is a middle-aged woman who was dealt a bad hand in life right from the beginning. Memories of ritual and sexual abuse that she suffered as a young child have haunted her continually throughout her Christian life. When she came to see me, her damaged self-image seemed beyond repair. As she told me her story, Lydia displayed little emotion, but her words reflected total despair.

When she concluded, I asked, "Who are you, Lydia? How do you perceive yourself?"

"I'm evil," she answered stoically. "I'm just no good for anybody. People tell me I'm evil and all I do is bring trouble."

"You're not evil," I argued. "How can a child of God be evil? Is that how you perceive yourself?" Lydia nodded.

It is never pleasant to see the evil one express his ugly personality through a victim like Lydia. But realizing that she is primarily the product of the work of Christ on the cross instead of the victim of her past, she was able to throw off the chains of spiritual bondage and begin living according to her true identity as a child of God.

Nothing is more foundational to your freedom from Satan's bondage than understanding and affirming what God has done for you in Christ and who you are as a result. We all live in accordance with our perceived identity. In fact, we cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with how we perceive ourselves. Your attitudes, actions, responses and reactions to life's circumstances are often determined by your conscious and subconscious self-perception. If you see yourself as the helpless victim of Satan and his schemes, you will live like his victim and be in bondage to his lies. But if you see yourself as the dearly loved and accepted child of God that you really are, you will more likely live like a child of God.

Prayer:

Thank You, Jesus, that You have made me more than a conqueror. Because of Your love and power, I can live as a victor instead of a victim today.

Confusion

Confusion in the Church
1 John 5:12-13

Numerous people believe in God, attend church, and are convinced that they will someday go to heaven. But of these, far too many are misinformed about salvation.

Some believe that a person's eternal destiny depends solely on how much good he accomplishes in his lifetime. Others accept that Jesus died for us but think we have to contribute toward salvation through works. Both views are incorrect. Scripture clearly teaches that we are saved only through a personal faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). What He did--namely, living a perfect life and dying for our sins--is what makes us right with God. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, His completed work is credited to our account. Our sin-debt is paid by His blood, and His righteousness is applied to us. Remember, we are saved not by what we do but by whom we trust--we can't add to or take away from Christ's finished work on the cross (John 19:30; Acts 4:12).

There is another common area of misinformation: many are convinced that belonging to a church, reading the Bible, and praying are evidences of being a Christian. These are important, but they're not what establishes us as God's children. We are adopted into His family when we acknowledge the insufficiency of our own efforts and embrace what Christ did for us. At that moment, we are set apart for the Lord and belong to Him.

It is essential that our faith be grounded in biblical truth. Receiving forgiveness of our sins, belonging to God's family, and dwelling with Him forever depend on it. Do your beliefs agree with Scripture?

To be.....

OUR TRANSFER

Colossians 1:13
He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son

Perhaps you have heard the illustration of the two dogs. Some people say that we have two natures within us vying for control of our lives. They claim that our old sin nature, which we inherited from disobedient Adam, is like a big black dog. Our new nature, which we inherited through Christ's redemptive work, is like a big white dog. These two dogs are bitter enemies, intent on destroying each other. Whenever you involve yourself in worldly thoughts or behavior, you are feeding the black dog. Whenever you focus your mind and activities on spiritual things, you are feeding the white dog. The dog you feed the most will eventually grow stronger and overpower the other.

This dramatic illustration may motivate Christians toward saintly behavior, but is it accurate based on who we really are in Christ? Since God "delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13), can we still be in both kingdoms? When God declares that we are "not in the flesh but in the Spirit" (Romans 8:9), can we be in the flesh and in the Spirit simultaneously? When God says that "you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord" (Ephesians 5:8), can you possibly be both light and darkness? When God states that "if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17), can we be partly new creature and partly old creature?

But be careful. Can a Christian sin? Of course! "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). But having sin and being sin are two completely different issues. When we choose to walk by the flesh we will sin, but, as 1 John 2:1 reminds us, we don't have to: "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin."

We will spend the next few days exploring the scriptural bases for this truth.