Today we continue our look at Romans 4, breaking down V. 8-13.
V. 8-11
"Do you think for a minute that this blessing is only pronounced over those of us who keep our religious ways and are circumcised? Or do you think it possible that the blessing could be given to those who never even heard of our ways, who were never brought up in the disciplines of God? We all agree, don't we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God?
Now think: Was that declaration made before or after he was marked by the covenant rite of circumcision? That's right, before he was marked. That means that he underwent circumcision as evidence and confirmation of what God had done long before to bring him into this acceptable standing with himself, an act of God he had embraced with his whole life."
Here we enter that part about works, or in Abraham's case, circumcision. Was Abraham deemed righteous because of his obedient act of circumcision?
V. 9 says that Abraham was declared fit before God because he embraced what God had done for him. Now was this declaration made before or after he was circumcised?
BEFORE. Abraham wasn't circumcised till at least 14 years after the promise God had given to him, and 24 years after his relationship with God began.
Abraham's circumcision was evidence of his faith and came after believing.
V. 12-13
"And it means further that Abraham is father of all people who embrace what God does for them while they are still on the "outs" with God, as yet unidentified as God's, in an "uncircumcised" condition. It is precisely these people in this condition who are called "set right by God and with God"! Abraham is also, of course, father of those who have undergone the religious rite of circumcision not just because of the ritual but because they were willing to live in the risky faith-embrace of God's action for them, the way Abraham lived long before he was marked by circumcision.That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed."
In v. 13, Paul says that the promise given to Abraham was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was given based off of God's grace...His decision to put it all together.
The promises God has given us: that He will supply all our needs, unconditional love, life abundantly (just to name a few) aren't promises we can earn. They are promises God makes to us out of His grace. We simply enter into it.
The word "promise" that is used in this verse comes from the Greek word "epangelia." It represents that God's promise was not based on merit, but grace alone. (I think it's incredible how one word can sum up an entire passage).
Are your works evidence of your faith?
Works are my no means null. In fact, James 2.14-16 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?"
Works should be an overflow of our faith in God. Does an act or deed come out of a task, to mark it off, or as a natural part of your relationship with God?
Do you believe in God's promises for you?
I know for me, it's easy to believe that God's promises are true and eternal, but at times I have struggled to except them personally. I think it can be easy to believe God's promises for others, but fail at believing them for ourselves.
To fail to believe God's promise for YOU is to fail in trusting God completely. We must embrace God's promises. Embrace, not earn. We could never earn God's promises...there is nothing we have done or ever will do that will secure God's promises for us. Wow. Praise God it's out of grace He has chosen to put it all together for us!
I pray that you will begin to examine the heart behind what you do. I'm really excited about the verses we will be looking at next time, so check back in a few days!
1 Corinthians 2 (MSG)
10-13 The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
The Holy Spirit is within us. He is not content to flit around on the surface. Allow Him to go in the depths of Gods heart and teach us. Learn to be teachable so the Lord can provide all He has planned all along. Wow, I cant imagine anything more special than the gift of God allowing us to know what He is thinking! We only have to rely on Him, not the world and their opinions. He has it all, all knowledge, all knowing, all wisdom, all love, all compassion, all grace, all mercy and the list never ends. Oh, how thankful I am!
14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.
Again, I pray for compassion in myself and all others to not get to where we all know we can too easily. Frustrated, irritated, angry, judgmental, bitter and hopeless. I don’t believe God created us to lose hope. He asks us to hope in Him and be committed to doing His work while here on earth. We don’t’ know the time frame only He does and He’s asked us to fight the “good” fight. Just because we understand the Lord and how good He is doesn’t mean all others will. It may take them more time than we would like, but that never means they wont get it. The one thing to remember may be that the test is “will you show Godly character until the end or will you give up?” Keep in mind that if you give up, then what have you really shown that person? Do you need the encouragement of knowing you will one day see His promises…You WILL! Do you need the encouragement of knowing He created you in His image and you can fight through Him…You CAN! Do you need the encouragement of knowing He has a plan specifically for you…He DOES and if you seek, you WILL find!
Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. I read verses like these and I feel overwhelmed with His love. God’s Spirit + our spirit = Spiritually ALIVE! You and I have the opportunity to not only feel this at a church camp, a women’s retreat, prayer or during praise and worship….But we have the opportunity to be Spiritually ALIVE every minute of our lives if we choose to live so.
Lastly, where I believe so much freedom can be found is in the fact, we cant be judged by unspiritual critics. If we have read this in the bible, feel this, know this and live this- then no unspiritual critic will be allowed to determine our moods from now on! Freedom!
Lets us pray together “Father, I pray these verses be sketched in and on our hearts today Lord. I pray we begin to step out in faith and to speak the simple words you choose to provide for us. I pray as we begin to reach the lost that they will receive that fire that only comes from you. Make it penetrate deep down in their souls. I pray for compassion as it takes others longer to give you a chance. As we live each day under your wings I pray we will search for more of you. I pray we will choose to seek, serve and study to build our minds and bodies in indestructible ways. When the unspiritual critics look our way I pray they are blinded by the light of your embrace and that they choose to turn towards you instead of us. Help us stay focused and fight the good fight! In Your Name, we pray. Amen!
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Challenge Questions:
1. We have seen that without our priorities in place, we will NOT complete the tasks that God gives us. In what areas do your priorities need realigned today?
2. Are you caught in the captivity of activity? What are some things you need to scrape off your plate, so you are truly available to obey God's leading for you?
3. What are some practical ways you can start having a consistent time in your Word and prayer?
Homework: Read Chapter nine, Lies Women Believe...About Circumstances
WHY IS ENTHUSIASM SO IMPORTANT?
Enthusiasm is able to energize you. One of the greatest obstacles keeping us from finding out what God has designed us for and keeping us from going forward with that plan is just a lack of energy. Let’s face it, by the end of the day we have no energy, no motivation, and nothing pushing us forward. When we become enthusiastic we will be strengthened, invigorated, and empowered to keep going forward. In my own life I can remember when God began to open up doors for me to teach a bible study at my church. I had a huge desire to write and teach tugging at my heart. Even so, I wondered how in the world I would have the energy to teach a bible study after working all day long. The answer was my enthusiasm for teaching the word of God. I was so excited about teaching and devoted to it that even when I began to feel weary, that enthusiasm would begin to recharge me and drive me forward. It is what kept me coming back each week to teach. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel tired, it only means that my enthusiasm for the women I was teaching made me diligent to keep coming back to meet with them. So many people will burn out when it comes to living out God’s purpose for their lives whether it is ministry, raising a family, a career, a big dream, simply because they have lost their enthusiasm and zeal for that cause and they become weary and burdened by the task. Regain your enthusiasm and you will regain your energy!
Enthusiasm and zeal will also inspire and stir you to live beyond yourself. When we begin to get enthusiastic about living life for God it will cause you to be inspired to step out in ways that seem beyond you. It will force you to take action. That word zeal comes from a Greek word that means “to boil”. When we become filled with enthusiasm over something it is eventually going to boil over into us taking action. That desire to teach was boiling up in me until I finally took the first step of going to my church and asking to start a bible study. I could have waited until someone came to me and asked me to help lead, but that may have never happened. No one else knew this enthusiasm for teaching was in me until it grew so great that it inspired and stirred me to start a class. Had I not had that zeal boiling on the inside of me, I would have never been inspired to step out beyond my comfort zone into the unknown. And as a result, so many lives besides my own may have gone untouched. The unique thing about the class I stepped out to teach is that God used my enthusiasm for His word and combined it with my enthusiasm for fitness and health and it created a weight loss bible study that was able to transform lives! And eventually turned into a book.
Along the journey of finding out what God has designed you for, you are sure to hit roadblocks. Problems are going to rise and things won’t always be smooth. There are going to be times that could cause you to doubt you are headed in the right direction. Of course in those times you do need to seek God to be sure you are heading in the right direction, but if the answer is yes, your enthusiasm for what God has called you to can help you to overcome problems. That excitement and devotion will push you toward seeking God for solutions to the problems rather than just throwing in the towel and giving up.
You will also find that your enthusiasm is contagious. Your enthusiasm will entice others to become involved too. If you have ever been around someone that was full of enthusiasm you will know exactly what I mean. I have a dear friend that sells kitchen supplies similar to pampered chef products. She is so enthusiastic about what she does that it almost convinced me to not only buy the products, but to start selling them for myself. Then I was reminded that I can’t cook, nor do I enjoy cooking so I probably wouldn’t have the same enthusiasm as she and would never be able to convince others to buy the product from me! But her enthusiasm was contagious. You will find that your can be too. God will use your enthusiasm to encourage others to want to get involved. I pray that you allow your enthusiasm to push you forward into all that God has planned for your sweet life. Dare to Dream sweet sisters!!!
xoxo
Justeina
Enthusiasm is able to energize you. One of the greatest obstacles keeping us from finding out what God has designed us for and keeping us from going forward with that plan is just a lack of energy. Let’s face it, by the end of the day we have no energy, no motivation, and nothing pushing us forward. When we become enthusiastic we will be strengthened, invigorated, and empowered to keep going forward. In my own life I can remember when God began to open up doors for me to teach a bible study at my church. I had a huge desire to write and teach tugging at my heart. Even so, I wondered how in the world I would have the energy to teach a bible study after working all day long. The answer was my enthusiasm for teaching the word of God. I was so excited about teaching and devoted to it that even when I began to feel weary, that enthusiasm would begin to recharge me and drive me forward. It is what kept me coming back each week to teach. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel tired, it only means that my enthusiasm for the women I was teaching made me diligent to keep coming back to meet with them. So many people will burn out when it comes to living out God’s purpose for their lives whether it is ministry, raising a family, a career, a big dream, simply because they have lost their enthusiasm and zeal for that cause and they become weary and burdened by the task. Regain your enthusiasm and you will regain your energy!
Enthusiasm and zeal will also inspire and stir you to live beyond yourself. When we begin to get enthusiastic about living life for God it will cause you to be inspired to step out in ways that seem beyond you. It will force you to take action. That word zeal comes from a Greek word that means “to boil”. When we become filled with enthusiasm over something it is eventually going to boil over into us taking action. That desire to teach was boiling up in me until I finally took the first step of going to my church and asking to start a bible study. I could have waited until someone came to me and asked me to help lead, but that may have never happened. No one else knew this enthusiasm for teaching was in me until it grew so great that it inspired and stirred me to start a class. Had I not had that zeal boiling on the inside of me, I would have never been inspired to step out beyond my comfort zone into the unknown. And as a result, so many lives besides my own may have gone untouched. The unique thing about the class I stepped out to teach is that God used my enthusiasm for His word and combined it with my enthusiasm for fitness and health and it created a weight loss bible study that was able to transform lives! And eventually turned into a book.
Along the journey of finding out what God has designed you for, you are sure to hit roadblocks. Problems are going to rise and things won’t always be smooth. There are going to be times that could cause you to doubt you are headed in the right direction. Of course in those times you do need to seek God to be sure you are heading in the right direction, but if the answer is yes, your enthusiasm for what God has called you to can help you to overcome problems. That excitement and devotion will push you toward seeking God for solutions to the problems rather than just throwing in the towel and giving up.
You will also find that your enthusiasm is contagious. Your enthusiasm will entice others to become involved too. If you have ever been around someone that was full of enthusiasm you will know exactly what I mean. I have a dear friend that sells kitchen supplies similar to pampered chef products. She is so enthusiastic about what she does that it almost convinced me to not only buy the products, but to start selling them for myself. Then I was reminded that I can’t cook, nor do I enjoy cooking so I probably wouldn’t have the same enthusiasm as she and would never be able to convince others to buy the product from me! But her enthusiasm was contagious. You will find that your can be too. God will use your enthusiasm to encourage others to want to get involved. I pray that you allow your enthusiasm to push you forward into all that God has planned for your sweet life. Dare to Dream sweet sisters!!!
xoxo
Justeina
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challenge,
encouragement
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For this part of the study, we will be looking at V. 4-7,
"If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.
David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man:
Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off,
whose sins are wiped clean from the slate.
Fortunate the person against
whom the Lord does not keep score."
Growing up my dad taught us to work hard. I had my first job at twelve years old! I believe in the value of hard work, and I would assume many of you do as well. V. 4 is by no means saying that hard work is a bad thing. But the idea behind this verse is that of trust.
Do you trust in works to set you right?
The problem enters when we do just that. We must realize that no matter how hard or how long we work, there is a point when work is not enough.
Paul says there are three things that set us right with God:
Seeing that the job is too big for us.
Understanding that only God can do it.
Trusting God to work.
This is what sets you right with God. By God. Sheer Gift!
A gift we cannot earn, but a gift we receive out of grace.
Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?
Beginning in V. 6, Paul points to another well-known man of the Old Testament. He looks to David to support this claim of faith.
David was indeed a man after God's heart, but he also is one known for his mistakes. Yet even so, in Psalm 32 (where v. 7 is originally found), David is found not guilty before heaven. Paul looks to a man who botched it up (as we all have) and points out his acceptance into heaven. He is pointing to this place of faith which leads to righteousness.
David was found righteous apart from his works because he acknowledged his guilt and cast himself in faith upon the mercy of God.
In a few days we will look more at works as we continue in v. 8. I would encourage you to take time for a careful examination of your life.
Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?
V. 4 says even if you do a good job...
Even IF, it's not enough. It's not a wage, but a gift.
"If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.
David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man:
Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off,
whose sins are wiped clean from the slate.
Fortunate the person against
whom the Lord does not keep score."
Growing up my dad taught us to work hard. I had my first job at twelve years old! I believe in the value of hard work, and I would assume many of you do as well. V. 4 is by no means saying that hard work is a bad thing. But the idea behind this verse is that of trust.
Do you trust in works to set you right?
The problem enters when we do just that. We must realize that no matter how hard or how long we work, there is a point when work is not enough.
Paul says there are three things that set us right with God:
Seeing that the job is too big for us.
Understanding that only God can do it.
Trusting God to work.
This is what sets you right with God. By God. Sheer Gift!
A gift we cannot earn, but a gift we receive out of grace.
Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?
Beginning in V. 6, Paul points to another well-known man of the Old Testament. He looks to David to support this claim of faith.
David was indeed a man after God's heart, but he also is one known for his mistakes. Yet even so, in Psalm 32 (where v. 7 is originally found), David is found not guilty before heaven. Paul looks to a man who botched it up (as we all have) and points out his acceptance into heaven. He is pointing to this place of faith which leads to righteousness.
David was found righteous apart from his works because he acknowledged his guilt and cast himself in faith upon the mercy of God.
In a few days we will look more at works as we continue in v. 8. I would encourage you to take time for a careful examination of your life.
Do you find yourself getting caught up in the ability of your own hands rather than trusting God to do what He says He will do?
V. 4 says even if you do a good job...
Even IF, it's not enough. It's not a wage, but a gift.
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One of the first steps to living out your purpose and getting out what God has placed in you is to find out what excites you. The word enthusiasm according to the American Heritage Dictionary means: Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause. Compare that to a similar word zeal which means: Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance; synonym: passion. So what are you enthusiastic about? What do you feel passionate about? What are you willing to work in tireless diligence for? Scripture makes it clear that we are to be enthusiastic and full of zeal in life. Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Ephesians 6:7 says, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” So as you and I talk about enthusiasm and zeal we are talking about an excitement, devotion, and diligence towards something. We really do need to strive to have enthusiasm and zeal in our lives. John Maxwell quoted:
“One of the greatest things you can do is to get excited about your life and start to live enthusiastically day after day after day; your whole world will improve. If you wait to get excited until some lucky outer event happens - guess what? If you wait, what does life do? It waits. And if you hold back until a more appropriate time to get excited what does life do? It holds back. If you’re going to hold back on enthusiasm, develop lots of patience, because you’re going to wait a long time for an exciting life.”
This quote described my life to a tee. I was waiting for something to change in my life before I chose to be excited or enthusiastic. I thought, “ If something could just change I am sure I would be filled with enthusiasm and zeal!” But for awhile nothing did change and so neither did my enthusiasm. In the meantime, I waited and so did my life! Before we are really able to seek out God’s purpose for our lives we have to begin to live out life with enthusiasm. Something very important to remember about enthusiasm is that it isn’t a by-product, it’s cultivated! So I want to ask you today...what are you excited about? Next week I will share with you what will happen in your life once you do apply zeal. This week I challenge you to begin to ask yourself what it is that you are passionate about, what excites you and what you are willing to give all diligence to in your life.
xoxo,
Justeina
“One of the greatest things you can do is to get excited about your life and start to live enthusiastically day after day after day; your whole world will improve. If you wait to get excited until some lucky outer event happens - guess what? If you wait, what does life do? It waits. And if you hold back until a more appropriate time to get excited what does life do? It holds back. If you’re going to hold back on enthusiasm, develop lots of patience, because you’re going to wait a long time for an exciting life.”
This quote described my life to a tee. I was waiting for something to change in my life before I chose to be excited or enthusiastic. I thought, “ If something could just change I am sure I would be filled with enthusiasm and zeal!” But for awhile nothing did change and so neither did my enthusiasm. In the meantime, I waited and so did my life! Before we are really able to seek out God’s purpose for our lives we have to begin to live out life with enthusiasm. Something very important to remember about enthusiasm is that it isn’t a by-product, it’s cultivated! So I want to ask you today...what are you excited about? Next week I will share with you what will happen in your life once you do apply zeal. This week I challenge you to begin to ask yourself what it is that you are passionate about, what excites you and what you are willing to give all diligence to in your life.
xoxo,
Justeina
Category:
challenge,
encouragement
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Study Questions:
1.After reading Romans 6, what are some practical steps you can take today to experience freedom from sin’s hold?
2.By humbling ourselves before a loving and forgiving Father, what will He then do for us? (James 4:6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”)
Daily Challenge:
Quiet yourself in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and show you any sin problems you need to confess. Then enjoy the spiritual vitality that you'll experience afterwards!
Homework:
Read chapter 5, Lies women believe… about Priorities
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Jesus was constantly telling people throughout the New Testament to TAKE HEART! What you and I can be sure of is that if Jesus is telling us to Take heart that must mean there is a chance that we have lost heart somewhere along the way. I just wonder how many of you have ever lost heart. You may be reading this devotion now and you are dealing with some things in life that are making you tired, weary, discouraged, dealing with grief, and ready to give up. That’s exactly what it means to lose heart.
When Jesus tells us to take heart it means to: be encouraged, to have hope, to be bold and confident, to not give up, to be of good cheer, to have courage, and to CHEER UP! Whether we take heart or lose heart is simply a choice we make. The way Jesus uses the phrase take heart here in John 16:33 is as an imperative verb. That means that he is saying taking heart is an action, it’s something we do, and that it is a possibility in our lives based off the choice we make…but it doesn’t become a reality until we actually make the choice.
There is a very good reason that Jesus tells us we will have to take heart. In John 16:33 Jesus makes very clear to us that in this world we WILL have trouble and tribulation. If you like memorizing promises from God you can memorize this one. I wonder how many times we find this promise in our promise books? The fact is that you and I will experience hardship in life. We will deal with pain and grief and loss. It’s part of living in a falling world. We shouldn’t be too surprised when some trial or tribulation makes its way into our lives, it’s part of what God has already warned us would happen. But we do get to choose how we respond to those trials. We can choose to take heart.
There are a few things to watch out for that can cause you to lose heart throughout a trial.
1. We can listen to the wrong people
2. We can let the problem make itself bigger than God (Are you telling God how big your
problems are or are you telling your problems how big your God is?)
3. We can believe rumors
So how do we take heart? The first step is to pray persistently. Just because God tells us trials will come doesn’t mean we just give in to them. Jesus uses a story in Luke 18 about a widow that continued to go to the judge and ask for justice to teach us how to pray. She went back time and time again and pleaded with the judge and finally the judge gave in and granted her request. Jesus wasn’t comparing the woman and judge to us and God but in fact contrasting it. He was saying if this woman who was a poor widow could get a judge to hear her and bring her justice how much more will a loving God respond to his children. God does respond to our persistence in prayer, so keep asking him.
The second step to taking heart is choosing to trust your God. John 14:1 tells us “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” I have a question for you: Are you trusting God or….Are you trusting God to do what you tell him to do.
You and I have got to get to the point where we can say God I Trust you and not just God I trust you to fix my problem just like I tell you to. We have to be careful to understand that even though we are told to pray persistently we may not always get the answers just exactly like we wanted them. So many times we tune into a message or devotion ready to hear promises to you that God will do this and God will do that. Now God is clear in his word and does promise us many things but the most important promise he gives you is that he will be faithful no matter what you are facing. So take heart dear one….
John 16:33 Message
I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply
at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take
heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
Jesus was constantly telling people throughout the New Testament to TAKE HEART! What you and I can be sure of is that if Jesus is telling us to Take heart that must mean there is a chance that we have lost heart somewhere along the way. I just wonder how many of you have ever lost heart. You may be reading this devotion now and you are dealing with some things in life that are making you tired, weary, discouraged, dealing with grief, and ready to give up. That’s exactly what it means to lose heart.
When Jesus tells us to take heart it means to: be encouraged, to have hope, to be bold and confident, to not give up, to be of good cheer, to have courage, and to CHEER UP! Whether we take heart or lose heart is simply a choice we make. The way Jesus uses the phrase take heart here in John 16:33 is as an imperative verb. That means that he is saying taking heart is an action, it’s something we do, and that it is a possibility in our lives based off the choice we make…but it doesn’t become a reality until we actually make the choice.
There is a very good reason that Jesus tells us we will have to take heart. In John 16:33 Jesus makes very clear to us that in this world we WILL have trouble and tribulation. If you like memorizing promises from God you can memorize this one. I wonder how many times we find this promise in our promise books? The fact is that you and I will experience hardship in life. We will deal with pain and grief and loss. It’s part of living in a falling world. We shouldn’t be too surprised when some trial or tribulation makes its way into our lives, it’s part of what God has already warned us would happen. But we do get to choose how we respond to those trials. We can choose to take heart.
There are a few things to watch out for that can cause you to lose heart throughout a trial.
1. We can listen to the wrong people
2. We can let the problem make itself bigger than God (Are you telling God how big your
problems are or are you telling your problems how big your God is?)
3. We can believe rumors
So how do we take heart? The first step is to pray persistently. Just because God tells us trials will come doesn’t mean we just give in to them. Jesus uses a story in Luke 18 about a widow that continued to go to the judge and ask for justice to teach us how to pray. She went back time and time again and pleaded with the judge and finally the judge gave in and granted her request. Jesus wasn’t comparing the woman and judge to us and God but in fact contrasting it. He was saying if this woman who was a poor widow could get a judge to hear her and bring her justice how much more will a loving God respond to his children. God does respond to our persistence in prayer, so keep asking him.
The second step to taking heart is choosing to trust your God. John 14:1 tells us “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” I have a question for you: Are you trusting God or….Are you trusting God to do what you tell him to do.
You and I have got to get to the point where we can say God I Trust you and not just God I trust you to fix my problem just like I tell you to. We have to be careful to understand that even though we are told to pray persistently we may not always get the answers just exactly like we wanted them. So many times we tune into a message or devotion ready to hear promises to you that God will do this and God will do that. Now God is clear in his word and does promise us many things but the most important promise he gives you is that he will be faithful no matter what you are facing. So take heart dear one….
John 16:33 Message
I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply
at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take
heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
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The book of Romans was written by a man named Paul. Born and raised in Hebrew tradition, he was a persecutor of Christians. After a run in with God on the road to Damascus, Paul turned his life over to God. The first missionary, he traveled much of Greece and the east ministering to the Gentiles. This is a letter he wrote to Christians in Rome. In Romans 4, Paul brings up the story of a man named Abraham. Abraham was the founding patriarch of the Israelites and a man well known in the Old Testament.
Of all the righteous men and women in the OT, it would be hard to surpass that of Abraham. In fact, in Isaiah 41.8, God calls Abraham "my friend."
The question being posed in Romans 4 is one in regards to faith vs. works. Was Abraham called righteous because of his faith or because of his works?
V. 1-3
"So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we're given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, "Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own."
V. 2 makes an excellent beginning statement in favor of faith. Paul says that Abraham could certainly have taken credit for God's approval of him, IF he had been justified by works. But Abraham did not take credit for anything at all. The account of Abraham's life is not an Abraham-story, but a God-story. Therefore a story only God could take credit for.
Who is taking credit for your story? When all is said and done, will your life be a God-story or a self-story?
Moving on to v. 3, this is a reference from Genesis 15. In the chapter God makes a covenant with Abraham; His famous promise. It's a beautiful picture. God takes Abraham outside and points to the heavens. He proceeds to tell Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. This to a man who was well in age and without any children. Can you imagine looking at the billions of stars in the sky and hearing God tell you there would be descendants from you that number as many? Abraham believed God at this and it was counted to him as righteousness.
You see, before there was time, before God created man, He had a plan for Abraham. A plan that was already in motion at the time of Genesis 15. What became a turning point for Abraham was the moment he entered into what God was already doing.
Just as God had a plan for Abraham mapped out, He has a plan mapped out for each and every one of us as well. God is not a respecter of persons, but delights in the plans He has for all of us. That plan for us is already in motion.
At the beginning of each day, are you committing yourself to God?
For a turning point, we must enter into what God is already doing. Some of you may know the plan right now and some of you may be asking how you can enter into a plan at work if you don't know where the plan is. I know there are times in life where you hit a wall. You come to a standstill and you are wondering where to go.
What can you do?
Of all the righteous men and women in the OT, it would be hard to surpass that of Abraham. In fact, in Isaiah 41.8, God calls Abraham "my friend."
The question being posed in Romans 4 is one in regards to faith vs. works. Was Abraham called righteous because of his faith or because of his works?
V. 1-3
"So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we're given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, "Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own."
V. 2 makes an excellent beginning statement in favor of faith. Paul says that Abraham could certainly have taken credit for God's approval of him, IF he had been justified by works. But Abraham did not take credit for anything at all. The account of Abraham's life is not an Abraham-story, but a God-story. Therefore a story only God could take credit for.
Who is taking credit for your story? When all is said and done, will your life be a God-story or a self-story?
Moving on to v. 3, this is a reference from Genesis 15. In the chapter God makes a covenant with Abraham; His famous promise. It's a beautiful picture. God takes Abraham outside and points to the heavens. He proceeds to tell Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. This to a man who was well in age and without any children. Can you imagine looking at the billions of stars in the sky and hearing God tell you there would be descendants from you that number as many? Abraham believed God at this and it was counted to him as righteousness.
You see, before there was time, before God created man, He had a plan for Abraham. A plan that was already in motion at the time of Genesis 15. What became a turning point for Abraham was the moment he entered into what God was already doing.
Just as God had a plan for Abraham mapped out, He has a plan mapped out for each and every one of us as well. God is not a respecter of persons, but delights in the plans He has for all of us. That plan for us is already in motion.
At the beginning of each day, are you committing yourself to God?
For a turning point, we must enter into what God is already doing. Some of you may know the plan right now and some of you may be asking how you can enter into a plan at work if you don't know where the plan is. I know there are times in life where you hit a wall. You come to a standstill and you are wondering where to go.
What can you do?
1. Read the Word of God.
- Recently I have heard some sound direction on more than one occasion from my Pastor. "Do all of the revealed will of God for your life and God will lead you in discovering the unrevealed will of God for your life." (John Lindell)
What would be the revealed will of God? That you be:
Saved
Filled with the Spirit
Sanctified (Holy)
Submissive to Authority
Giving Thanks
You do what you know to be His will, then He will reveal to you more.
2. Pray
- In any relationship you have, you must communicate with the other person in order to know what's going on. It's the same with our relationship with God. We must be in communication with him DAILY in order to know what He is doing.
3. Fast
- Some things only come by fasting and praying. Sometimes it requires from us to set aside a need in order that we may seek God for direction.
When you commit to seek God, there is no way you can miss what He is doing.
Are you adding God into what you are doing, or entering into what He is doing?
Yes, invite God to be a part of your life, but the wrong approach is if we go about our day, tagging God onto certain parts. That is a life of convenience, not a life of righteousness.
Abraham simply took God at His word and acted accordingly. He understood that he must rely completely on God.
Above I have posed some questions throughout the study in order that you might think about the passage a bit more. Again, I hope you would read the passage for yourself and allow God to minister to you. Here are the questions again...please take a few moments to think about your answer.
- Who is taking credit for your story? When all is said and done, will your life be a God-story or a self-story? In what way(s) can you give glory to God?
- At the beginning of each day, are you committing yourself to God? How?
- Are you adding God into what you are doing, or entering into what He is doing? In what area(s) are you struggling to surrender to God? Perhaps take a moment to say or write out a prayer repenting from your lack of submission and asking the Holy Spirit to change your heart from the inside out.
I would encourage you to check back in the next few days for part 2...it only gets better!
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More on 1 Corinthians 2 (MSG)
6-10 We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text:
No one's ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.
But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.
Paul writes that living for Christ was viewed as unpopular. If you are truly living for God and stepping out of your comfort zones (family, church, study groups and Christian friends) you will sense the fact that the “world” views your belief as unpopular. When I hear this it saddens me. It saddens me because of what freedom, strength and love I have found in the Lord. Because of the transformation in my life, I long for everyone to accept this gift and fight whether it seems popular or unpopular.
This is just the exterior of what people see, that have not experienced living for Christ. What they believe is popular will fade in the blink of an eye. What is popular to believers will be ever lasting! I recently heard a man say that being a Christian or talking about God was not cool. I immediate felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me. It’s not that being a Christian or speaking about Jesus is not cool, the truth is that most people are hiding behind a façade. We were crafted and created with a magnificent purpose. Our purpose is to love and serve the Lord. As we grow we conform to what we see, what we think or what we feel is right. When it is any other path that what God had planned for us, it is miserable. We were constantly in search of something to fill the void in our heart that God intended to be filled with His love. Our carnal minds think we have to be tough and represent independence, at all times. Jesus intended for us to be compassionate, open, honest, and most importantly sensitive to His love for ourselves and others, at all times. If this means crying in a crowd because He has touched your heart, then cry! If this means speaking out of turn with compassion through the Holy Spirit, then let Him lead and speak! If this means move when you don’t know how, when, or why, well then move!
Most people who you would think would make you feel silly for speaking about Jesus, are actually the ones so desperately in search of someone who lives under and for Him 24-7 and not just when they feel most comfortable. We must be consistent in our faith walk. Continue to pray and witness to people. After all, this is exactly what He asks us to do.
We must all equip ourselves with the knowledge Jesus provides for us on a daily basis so we can support and encourage others who are looking for more. In the beginning and all throughout your journey, satan will most likely try to deceive you into thinking God’s wisdom is unpopular, but I promise once you surrender ALL you will see it as an over abundance of blessings. God, all knowing, has determined how to bring out the best in all of us! If we choose to seek beyond the surface, He will light the path to true “life” there’s no doubt, just His promises!
There are so many strongholds, excuses and distractions that we could lye down in. We can all get lost too easily if we are not stepping out in faith and truth. Lets not be fooled by satans disguise any longer! God has brought this invitation into the open for all to experience! When the scripture says no one’s ever seen or heard anything like this…It is absolutely true! When it says you’ve never imagined anything quite like this….It is truly unbelievable! And when we continue to lye it all down and truly seek His plan for our life no matter the cost and sacrifice--We WILL see and feel these unimaginable things He speaks of!
So I ask that we begin to step out in faith and begin breaking down the façade that people we come in contact with may be hiding behind. Step out in Faith and be “real” and lead others to the Love of our lives. Step out in faith, speaking, loving and holding others accountable for what the Lord has done for us and can most certainly do for them!
Praying for you! Maranda Huntley
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Study Questions:
1.What lies have you believed about God?
2.How has believing those lies manifested itself in the way you live (e.g., attitudes, actions)?
3.What lies have you believed about yourself?
4.Take time to affirm the truth: Psalm 139:13-18
5.What specific steps of action do you need to take to align your life with the Truth you have seen about yourself?
Challenge: Renew your mind (your thinking) by the Word of God. Read the following passages aloud. What do these verses about the character of God and His heart toward His children? Psalm 100:5, Psalm 23, Psalm 121, Romans 8:28-39
Homework: Read chpt. 4, Lies Women Believe…about Sin.
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[Exerpt from Justeina's book Fitness By Faith]
Are you familiar with the “do it yourself” stores such as the IKEA store? These stores sell home furnishings at very reasonable prices. The reason they are able to sell their merchandise at a cheaper rate is because all of their items require assembly once you get them home. They give you a box with the instructions and all the materials and you have to take the furniture home and assemble it yourself. I’m sure most of you have gone to a store looking for furnishings and you look at the display and it looks so great and you can already picture right where you want it to go in your home, so you grab the slip of paper with the merchandise number on it, you take the slip to the sales associate, pay for the item and in return they give you a flat box full of small parts and pieces and just expect you to figure it out on your own. As much as you try begging them to just sell you the display, they aren’t going to give in. If you want the piece of furniture you are going to have to do the work of assembling it all on your own.
My husband and I experienced this recently because we had a new baby on the way. We needed furniture for the new nursery; so we made a trip to the store and picked out different pieces of furniture for our baby’s room. The displays looked great and I knew right where I wanted to put each piece. Of course what we made it home with was not the beautiful put together displays. It was four different flat boxes full of little (and I do mean little) parts and pieces that we would have to assemble. By “we” I of course mean my husband, and it ended up taking Kyle over five hours to put just one dresser together. I am sure he would want you to know that it wasn’t because he didn’t know what he was doing. It was simply because assembling the pieces of furniture took lots of time and lots of work!
You know, God does the same thing to you and me. He prepares for us different packages requiring assembly throughout life and then asks us to put them together. There is a good example of this in the lives of David and Solomon. In 2 Samuel 7 David decides he is going to build a temple for the Lord to dwell in. God tells David that he doesn’t want him to build it, but that he has plans for David’s son Solomon to build the temple. In fact, God was telling David I’ve never asked you to build the temple for me. I didn’t give you a temple package. I am giving it to your son Solomon.
In 1 Chronicles 28 at the end of David’s reign he charges his son Solomon with what God has called him to do. Solomon finds himself as King in place of his father David. As he steps into his new position, David hands him a package that should have read, “assembly required”. David handed over all of the parts and pieces that were needed to build the new temple for God to dwell. He gave him all the instructions for every detail of the plan. As David hands him the package he tells Solomon to “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you…” I am sure that Solomon would have much rather just received the display. He would have rather stepped into his position of King with the temple already built. But that wasn‘t God‘s plan for his life. God wanted him to go through the process of building it.
The same is true for you and me today. It was and is very necessary that God takes us through the process of building a healthy lifestyle. He will drop off a full package for you. It will soon have every part, piece, instruction, and tool needed to build it. Now hear God‘s voice declaring over your life today, “Be strong and do the work.” In 1 Chronicles 28:20 it says that God would not fail or forsake Solomon until all of the work for the temple was finished. It didn’t mean that God was going to leave as soon as the work was done; it just meant that God would see the work through until completion.
More info on Fitness By Faith
Are you familiar with the “do it yourself” stores such as the IKEA store? These stores sell home furnishings at very reasonable prices. The reason they are able to sell their merchandise at a cheaper rate is because all of their items require assembly once you get them home. They give you a box with the instructions and all the materials and you have to take the furniture home and assemble it yourself. I’m sure most of you have gone to a store looking for furnishings and you look at the display and it looks so great and you can already picture right where you want it to go in your home, so you grab the slip of paper with the merchandise number on it, you take the slip to the sales associate, pay for the item and in return they give you a flat box full of small parts and pieces and just expect you to figure it out on your own. As much as you try begging them to just sell you the display, they aren’t going to give in. If you want the piece of furniture you are going to have to do the work of assembling it all on your own.
My husband and I experienced this recently because we had a new baby on the way. We needed furniture for the new nursery; so we made a trip to the store and picked out different pieces of furniture for our baby’s room. The displays looked great and I knew right where I wanted to put each piece. Of course what we made it home with was not the beautiful put together displays. It was four different flat boxes full of little (and I do mean little) parts and pieces that we would have to assemble. By “we” I of course mean my husband, and it ended up taking Kyle over five hours to put just one dresser together. I am sure he would want you to know that it wasn’t because he didn’t know what he was doing. It was simply because assembling the pieces of furniture took lots of time and lots of work!
You know, God does the same thing to you and me. He prepares for us different packages requiring assembly throughout life and then asks us to put them together. There is a good example of this in the lives of David and Solomon. In 2 Samuel 7 David decides he is going to build a temple for the Lord to dwell in. God tells David that he doesn’t want him to build it, but that he has plans for David’s son Solomon to build the temple. In fact, God was telling David I’ve never asked you to build the temple for me. I didn’t give you a temple package. I am giving it to your son Solomon.
In 1 Chronicles 28 at the end of David’s reign he charges his son Solomon with what God has called him to do. Solomon finds himself as King in place of his father David. As he steps into his new position, David hands him a package that should have read, “assembly required”. David handed over all of the parts and pieces that were needed to build the new temple for God to dwell. He gave him all the instructions for every detail of the plan. As David hands him the package he tells Solomon to “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you…” I am sure that Solomon would have much rather just received the display. He would have rather stepped into his position of King with the temple already built. But that wasn‘t God‘s plan for his life. God wanted him to go through the process of building it.
The same is true for you and me today. It was and is very necessary that God takes us through the process of building a healthy lifestyle. He will drop off a full package for you. It will soon have every part, piece, instruction, and tool needed to build it. Now hear God‘s voice declaring over your life today, “Be strong and do the work.” In 1 Chronicles 28:20 it says that God would not fail or forsake Solomon until all of the work for the temple was finished. It didn’t mean that God was going to leave as soon as the work was done; it just meant that God would see the work through until completion.
More info on Fitness By Faith
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This past weekend was the women's conference at my church. I had been anticipating the conference for a whole year; a conference with the theme of dream.
We all have dreams. We all have things God has placed in our heart for eternal purpose. Some we work hard for. Some we hold to ourselves. Some we are excited for. Some we are afraid of. But all stir something inside of us for more.
The thing about a dream is that generally, they wait a while before making an appearance. You get what I'm saying, right girls? We all have been pregnant with a dream, and for many, they have yet to birth the dream. It's a long and hard journey to seeing your dreams actualized.
If God has placed a dream, or many dreams, in your heart, than know that no matter how long or hard the wait, they will come to be. If your dream be a God dream, than it His His plan and purpose for your life.
I absolutely love what Paul says in Ephesians 3.20-21 (MSG),
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
So many women fail to see their dreams come to pass because they give up too soon. Too tired. Too impatient. Discouraged. Disconnected. Disheartened. There are many things on this earth that aren't being done because people are failing to see their dreams through.
Hebrews 10.35-36 in the NLT says,
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."
Girls, one of the keys to seeing your dreams come true is to be patient. My prayer for each and every one of you is that your dreams would no longer collect dust. That your dreams would no longer make you afraid. My prayer for each and every one of you is that you would commit to endure, no matter the cost.
I dream to see women all across the earth rise up and live out the dreams God has placed on their heart. I truly believe that if women would endure to see their dream through, there would be a significant shift on the earth. I believe the Kingdom would advance in a way that it never has.
God can do anything you know! So go for it. Go for that dream you have pushed to the back of your heart. Go for that dream you believe could never happen. It won't be easy; but anything of worth is difficult. Imagine the possibilities for other people if YOU would step out and say "yes, Lord." God uses individual people for great causes. You are one of those people.
Dare to to make a difference. Yes, YOU. Dare to Dream!
We all have dreams. We all have things God has placed in our heart for eternal purpose. Some we work hard for. Some we hold to ourselves. Some we are excited for. Some we are afraid of. But all stir something inside of us for more.
The thing about a dream is that generally, they wait a while before making an appearance. You get what I'm saying, right girls? We all have been pregnant with a dream, and for many, they have yet to birth the dream. It's a long and hard journey to seeing your dreams actualized.
If God has placed a dream, or many dreams, in your heart, than know that no matter how long or hard the wait, they will come to be. If your dream be a God dream, than it His His plan and purpose for your life.
I absolutely love what Paul says in Ephesians 3.20-21 (MSG),
"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
So many women fail to see their dreams come to pass because they give up too soon. Too tired. Too impatient. Discouraged. Disconnected. Disheartened. There are many things on this earth that aren't being done because people are failing to see their dreams through.
Hebrews 10.35-36 in the NLT says,
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."
Girls, one of the keys to seeing your dreams come true is to be patient. My prayer for each and every one of you is that your dreams would no longer collect dust. That your dreams would no longer make you afraid. My prayer for each and every one of you is that you would commit to endure, no matter the cost.
I dream to see women all across the earth rise up and live out the dreams God has placed on their heart. I truly believe that if women would endure to see their dream through, there would be a significant shift on the earth. I believe the Kingdom would advance in a way that it never has.
God can do anything you know! So go for it. Go for that dream you have pushed to the back of your heart. Go for that dream you believe could never happen. It won't be easy; but anything of worth is difficult. Imagine the possibilities for other people if YOU would step out and say "yes, Lord." God uses individual people for great causes. You are one of those people.
Dare to to make a difference. Yes, YOU. Dare to Dream!
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Continuing with 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 (The Message)
3-5 I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.
Paul continues to try and teach the Corinthian Church about God’s Spirit. He explains how powerful and tangible our God is. The beauty and truth is we are all inadequate, no matter the time or effort we put into this life. That’s the gift! We need not to worry about adequacy or how we are impressing or not. When we let our guard down and resist what this world says, thinks and feels, and let God take over, our vision becomes more aware of His heart and more passionate about reaching a lost world. If we step out, He will provide!
When you recognize and allow the Holy Spirit to truly dwell inside of you and throughout your life, your worries about how and when to speak the Word of God will cease. I love what Jesus speaks in John 16: 12-15, in the Message Bible: “I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, 'He takes from me and delivers to you.'“
Isn’t it amazing that God knows what you need and when you need it. Our amazing God not only knows but offers what we need, when we need it. It is our choice to then receive it or not. When we start to follow Him, He knows what we need in the beginning of our journey will be much different than in the end. As we grow into a more spiritual Christian, He then offers a bigger spiritual gift, the Holy Spirit. I love to read, listen and receive what God speaks about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not just a thing, it is actually a person. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as our friend that He will leave with us if we will honestly commit ourselves to the Lord and do His work. I know the comfort, support and encouragement I feel when my friends are around. Now imagine what it truly means to have “our friend” the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us!
Dear Father,
I ask that you fill us with the confidence you desire us to have in you Lord. I pray as we seek what it truly means to live for you and with you that you will cause a wellspring of your love and wisdom in our hearts. I pray it is recognized by all and that people are drawn to the source of our fulfillment. I ask that you keep us on our spiritual toes so our well will never run low or dry. I pray we will always accept your offer into the next step of our journey with you Lord. I pray the goodness we are filling ourselves up with will not be able to be contained but overflow over all the earth. We want everyone we see to be drenched with the Holy Spirit. Thank you for such an awesome friend that we choose to acknowledge in our daily lives. We praise you for the blessing you continually rain down upon us! In your awesome Name, we pray, Amen!
With so much Love, Maranda Huntley
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It’s almost a laughable question isn’t it: Is Facebook ruining my life? Unless you have experienced the dangers of facebook as millions of people already have. In the culture of social networking you would be hard pressed to find someone without a social account such as facebook. Many studies have ranked Facebook as the most used social network by worldwide monthly active users, followed by MySpace. Listen to some of the statistics that can be found on facebook’s own website. They have More than 500 million active users and 50% of the active users log on to Facebook in any given day. The average user has 130 friends and all combined, people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. There are over 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events and community pages) on facebook and the average user is connected to at least 80 community pages, groups and events. The average user creates 90 pieces of content each month and there are more than 30 billion pieces of combined content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each month. With those types of statistics you and I would have to agree that there is definitely room for disaster and danger within our facebook frenzy.
I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard from people that have seen betrayal, discouragement, and very painful life changing experiences come into their life through the world of facebook. Now most of us are aware of some of the common sense dangers that we can find on facebook and any other social network. Things like identity theft, information that leads to burglaries, and open doors to sexual predators. But what about those hidden dangers? The ones you may have never paid much attention to? The ones that in the end have the potential to ruin your life. My hope is that as we expose those things today, you will be able to approach the facebook world with greater wisdom and prevent a facebook façade.
As I researched for this article I reached out to my facebook friends for help (I didn’t say facebook doesn’t also have its advantages!) and asked them to share with me some of the potential dangers facebook would hold for a Christian. Over and over they mentioned facebook and gossip. Let’s face it; facebook is another form of a social circle, and in any social circle there is the danger and likeliness of gossip. I honestly believe even more so for online networking. We tend to be a bit braver when we are sitting alone at home typing away at the keys than we would be with a face to face conversation. Don’t misunderstand what all fits into the category for gossip. Gossip is any information that is made spacious or wide whether it’s true or not. So anytime you and I take information about someone else and make it spread wide we are involved in gossip. God’s word says about gossip in Proverbs 11:13 in the Message bible that, “A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.” We need to be very careful about the information we spread around on facebook. Gossip will be sure to destroy relationships of all types.
Another danger I have seen on facebook comes with our status updates. Have you ever noticed how many people enjoy venting through their status update? It’s quite hysterical, but very dangerous. Especially when you consider that many times people are venting about their job, their marriage, or other relationships. It’s just not professional or honoring. Be very cautious about what you are putting in your status update. Wisdom will likely lead you towards keeping those updates very light hearted. Never use that feature to vent out your frustrations with your employers, employees, or your family members. Even if you leave them unnamed, trust me someone out there will know exactly what you are referring to. It will not only put your own career in jeopardy, but can also cause a relational blow up! Learn to trust God with those frustrations, he can handle them.
We also need to be very careful to not use those status updates as a form of incoming affirmation. Think about how many times you have posted something and then you wait to hear comments from all your friends. As my close friend put it, “we post things and expect for people to comment back because we think what we had to say was so very important that everyone should leave comments.” It is so true. Not only do we wait to hear everyone’s comments back to us, but we also start to base our “facebook” value off of those comments back. If no one comments we feel a little less valuable. It becomes a source of affirmation to us.
One of the most dangerous places of all that we can find ourselves in on facebook is in an emotional relationship outside of our marriage. Too many times I watch as married friends link up with men and women from past relationships and become facebook friends. In the beginning it seems so innocent. But a natural curiosity takes over and they begin to visit that person’s wall and look through their pictures or maybe even begin to make comments back and forth. Before they know it they are sending daily messages to one another. And so the emotional bond begins, and it won’t likely stay only emotional. It doesn’t have to be an ex or past relationship. It can be anyone of the opposite sex. We need to use wisdom with the friends we choose on facebook. Remember, it’s not a contest to see who can get the most friends. It is meant to be a way to keep in touch with the people you care about the most. Don’t wait until you are already in the middle of an ongoing “facebook” relationship to see the danger it poses to your marriage. Prevent it now by choosing your friends very carefully and steering clear from any hint of emotional bond to someone of the opposite sex.
Finally I have to mention the danger facebook poses as a time thief. How many of us can admit how much of our time facebook can consume. You log on for a quick check in the morning and before you know it you are still checking an hour later. So often we can become consumed with facebook world. We give it priority often over our marriages, our job, sometimes our children and most frequently it robs us of our own quite time with God. Do a self evaluation and see just how much of your time you are giving to the facebook frenzy. Is it the first thing you do each morning? The last thing you do before bed? Do you have facebook on your mobile so that you can stay connected at all times? There is another word for that…and it’s called an idol. God warns us about idols in scripture. Anytime we put something else in priority over Him we have ourselves an idol. Don’t allow facebook to continue to be a time thief in your world.
Although there are many undercover dangers with facebook, it can also be an amazing networking and connecting tool. If we apply a little wisdom to our social networking it really can be a blessing. But if we don’t heed the warning signs we could be left telling our own story of how facebook ruined our life.
xoxo
Justeina
I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard from people that have seen betrayal, discouragement, and very painful life changing experiences come into their life through the world of facebook. Now most of us are aware of some of the common sense dangers that we can find on facebook and any other social network. Things like identity theft, information that leads to burglaries, and open doors to sexual predators. But what about those hidden dangers? The ones you may have never paid much attention to? The ones that in the end have the potential to ruin your life. My hope is that as we expose those things today, you will be able to approach the facebook world with greater wisdom and prevent a facebook façade.
As I researched for this article I reached out to my facebook friends for help (I didn’t say facebook doesn’t also have its advantages!) and asked them to share with me some of the potential dangers facebook would hold for a Christian. Over and over they mentioned facebook and gossip. Let’s face it; facebook is another form of a social circle, and in any social circle there is the danger and likeliness of gossip. I honestly believe even more so for online networking. We tend to be a bit braver when we are sitting alone at home typing away at the keys than we would be with a face to face conversation. Don’t misunderstand what all fits into the category for gossip. Gossip is any information that is made spacious or wide whether it’s true or not. So anytime you and I take information about someone else and make it spread wide we are involved in gossip. God’s word says about gossip in Proverbs 11:13 in the Message bible that, “A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.” We need to be very careful about the information we spread around on facebook. Gossip will be sure to destroy relationships of all types.
Another danger I have seen on facebook comes with our status updates. Have you ever noticed how many people enjoy venting through their status update? It’s quite hysterical, but very dangerous. Especially when you consider that many times people are venting about their job, their marriage, or other relationships. It’s just not professional or honoring. Be very cautious about what you are putting in your status update. Wisdom will likely lead you towards keeping those updates very light hearted. Never use that feature to vent out your frustrations with your employers, employees, or your family members. Even if you leave them unnamed, trust me someone out there will know exactly what you are referring to. It will not only put your own career in jeopardy, but can also cause a relational blow up! Learn to trust God with those frustrations, he can handle them.
We also need to be very careful to not use those status updates as a form of incoming affirmation. Think about how many times you have posted something and then you wait to hear comments from all your friends. As my close friend put it, “we post things and expect for people to comment back because we think what we had to say was so very important that everyone should leave comments.” It is so true. Not only do we wait to hear everyone’s comments back to us, but we also start to base our “facebook” value off of those comments back. If no one comments we feel a little less valuable. It becomes a source of affirmation to us.
One of the most dangerous places of all that we can find ourselves in on facebook is in an emotional relationship outside of our marriage. Too many times I watch as married friends link up with men and women from past relationships and become facebook friends. In the beginning it seems so innocent. But a natural curiosity takes over and they begin to visit that person’s wall and look through their pictures or maybe even begin to make comments back and forth. Before they know it they are sending daily messages to one another. And so the emotional bond begins, and it won’t likely stay only emotional. It doesn’t have to be an ex or past relationship. It can be anyone of the opposite sex. We need to use wisdom with the friends we choose on facebook. Remember, it’s not a contest to see who can get the most friends. It is meant to be a way to keep in touch with the people you care about the most. Don’t wait until you are already in the middle of an ongoing “facebook” relationship to see the danger it poses to your marriage. Prevent it now by choosing your friends very carefully and steering clear from any hint of emotional bond to someone of the opposite sex.
Finally I have to mention the danger facebook poses as a time thief. How many of us can admit how much of our time facebook can consume. You log on for a quick check in the morning and before you know it you are still checking an hour later. So often we can become consumed with facebook world. We give it priority often over our marriages, our job, sometimes our children and most frequently it robs us of our own quite time with God. Do a self evaluation and see just how much of your time you are giving to the facebook frenzy. Is it the first thing you do each morning? The last thing you do before bed? Do you have facebook on your mobile so that you can stay connected at all times? There is another word for that…and it’s called an idol. God warns us about idols in scripture. Anytime we put something else in priority over Him we have ourselves an idol. Don’t allow facebook to continue to be a time thief in your world.
Although there are many undercover dangers with facebook, it can also be an amazing networking and connecting tool. If we apply a little wisdom to our social networking it really can be a blessing. But if we don’t heed the warning signs we could be left telling our own story of how facebook ruined our life.
xoxo
Justeina
Category:
challenge,
encouragement
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