A Gentle Reminder

 

 

 

The Bible doesn’t tell us about the sins of David to weaken our sense of moral alarm, but to put all of us on notice. The failures of others should cause us to be more aware of our own weaknesses and need for the grace of Christ. Only in the knowledge of our weakness will we be dependent on the strength of our God. — Mart DeHaan

The Bible, O Lord, is just like a mirror
That shows me the need of my heart,
For in it I see an accurate image,
A portrait of me—every part. — Hess

The Bible is a mirror that reflects how God sees us. 

 

~From Our Daily Bread Devotional on YouVersion 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Jesus Will Set You Free

 

Jesus came to set the captives free. We are living in a spiritual battlefield. If you feel like you have been taken as a prisoner, then remember who is all powerful and came to set you free. The chains of bondage can be broken. The deep lies of Satan’s deception can be broken. The strongholds can be loosed. You are a child of God. Claim your spot in the kingdom through Christ. There is freedom, don’t give up in seeking the freedom that Christ offers.

 

Heavenly Father, I pray for those that are struggling with spiritual warfare. I pray that you could give them freedom, victory and wisdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

~From Spirit Renewal Daily Devotions by C.L. Griffin

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

 

Do It Heartily For The Lord

 

 

For Christians, life is to be lived Coram Deo – before the face of God, in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and to the honour and glory of God. It is only this kind of life that is bound to the ultimate reality of God and freed from the fleeting praises of man. 

 

~From the Sermon on the Mount Devotional on YouVersion 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Speak The Truth In Love

 

If something is true but saying it to someone will needlessly hurt their feelings, I need to be quiet. (Notice I didn’t say I need to lie and tell them something they want to hear! No, I need to say nothing.) If something is true but I know that my reason for saying it is to belittle someone or make them feel guilty, I need to be quiet. If something is true but I promised to hold it in confidence, I need to be quiet. If something is true but I know that my reason for saying it is to cause a rift between two people, I need to be quiet. If something is true but my motive for speaking the truth is to make myself look better by comparison, I need to be quiet.

If something is true and I just feel in my heart that saying it will do nothing but make me feel good, in a sinister sort of way, I need to be quiet. Bottom line? More often than not, I need to learn to keep it shut. How about you? I think I have enough duct tape for the both of us. 

~From Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Your Past Doesn't Matter

 

 

You can make yourself better, but only Christ can make you new. And if ever there was someone who became a new creation, it was Paul. What exactly does new mean, though? If we look at the original Greek in 2 Corinthians 5, we see the word kainos, which means, “recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn.” (Strong's Concordance G2537.)

So often as Christians, we talk about being restored…but restored just means we’re just an improved version of what we were before. This verse here in 2 Corinthians tells us that no matter what we’ve done or how we’ve lived, in Christ, we are brand new.

What does that tell us about Paul? When he chose to follow Jesus, his history against the church was wiped clean, though it doesn’t mean there weren’t consequences (like having to build trust and demonstrate the authenticity of his newness to a multitude of believers). But in God’s eyes, there is no before—only now and evermore. 

 

~From Philippians: Living What Really Matters by Teresa Swanstrom Anderson for Get Wisdom Bible Studies on YouVersion 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

Believe Jesus

 

 

 Command 38 – Believe in Jesus (Mark 16:16, Luke 9:35, John 12:36, 6:29, 20:20, 14:6)

 

Believing in Jesus is an action word. When Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” he is the truth you need to follow, he is the way that you’re meant to go. His way is the pedestrian crossing of life.

His ways, his commands, his directions are the way to go; his truth is the truth, his way is the way and his life is the life you should be living – his life is the way you should follow. “Any man who wants to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” You need to follow Jesus, to believe in Jesus; you don’t get saved by just believing that Jesus was the son of God – you get saved by practicing what Jesus taught. It’s very important for you to realize, and I’ll say it very clearly here, to believe in Jesus is to obey Jesus. So, I encourage you to learn to obey him.

 

 

 ~From The NARROW WAY: The Fifty Commandments of Jesus – A Devotional by Matthew Robert Payne

 

 Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!

 

You Are A Work In Progress

 

 

When you read “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” do you feel dismayed, sad, and/or disheartened? Do you feel like there is no way for you to ever be holy? That every time you think you have a handle on sin, you slip up? Do you ever feel like giving up? Don’t. Do not give up.

 

There are two things I want you to remember. The first is this scripture, Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. You mess up, you sin. Stop and repent. Confess to God, repent and Jesus will forgive you. If you are in Christ Jesus and for the most part, are walking according to the Holy Spirit, you are not condemned. You may feel convicted, but you are not condemned.

 

The second thing is you are a work in progress. Philippians 1:6 says being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Jesus has begun a good work in you. You are putting off the old man and putting on the new man. That takes time. But do not fret. As long as you abide in Christ, stop the sin, confess and repent, Jesus will continue His work in you. So don’t stop and don’t give up. Jesus is working on you and won’t stop until He is back.

 

Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!