"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41
A thought came to me a few minutes ago- today is Friday, so the weekend is here, most people love to "take the weekend off". They take if off from work. They take it off from the usual routine. They take if off and like to get away and enjoy some sort of relaxation or entertainment. The weekend for most is unlike the rest of their week.
The thought that came to me was this- some people also think you can take the weekend off from being a Christian. They look at the weekend as "their time". They have worked hard all week and deserve to just "kick back" and do what they want to do. This kind of thinking where your spiritual life is concerned is deadly.
Christianity is about who we are, not what we do. What we do is a reflection of who we are. I am a wife, can I just "take off" from being a wife today? I am a mother, can I "take off" there? I am a female, is that something that I can "take off" from being for a day or two? Neither is my relationship with the Lord something that I can "take off" from either.
My walk with the Lord has to be incorporated in all I do and every where I go. If I can't take it into the places I plan to go, then I should not go. If I do something that tries to detach me from it, I shouldn't do that. My relationship with the Lord is more important than "rest and relaxation". It's more important than fulfilling my desires. And regardless of which day of the week it is, my thoughts first and foremost needs to consider whether what I do and where I go is something that will put my spiritual life in jeopardy... and if it does, then I need to rethink my plans.
Have a great day. You can't take a day or weekend off from being a Christian.
For further reading:
Psalm 31:23
Mark 12:30
Proverbs 8:34
Acts 2:46; 5:42
1 Corinthians 10:13
2 Timothy 2:22
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
"Offline"
"And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him." Judges 16:20
Yesterday, I was unable to send out the devotional because there was a problem with my server. I tried and tried and tried to connect to the Internet and my server but never could. But even though I did not get to send yesterday's devotional, something good came out of it any way- today's word.
The thought kept coming to me-- many people are trying to do something for God without being "connected" to Him. If the connection is broken you can't do it; try as you will, but it just won't work. You can't witness effectively, you can't have the boldness that you need, you can't shine brightly, you aren't salty, your testimony doesn't have much influence.
Yesterday, there was an outage on the server that caused me not to be able to do what I needed to do to get the word out. But for us, the disconnection comes through many avenues. It comes through disobedience. When we are living in disobedience it will hinder the connection, and without the connection we are powerless, as was the case with Samson. He had the call of God, but he didn't have the power because he disobeyed. Also, being negligent to do the things we need to do to stay connected will cause a problem. Such things as reading the Bible, having communion with the Lord in prayer, going to His house, spending time in worship. This all are factors.
When the problem continued and I was unable to connect to the Internet, I finally decided to call my Internet provider. They confirmed the problem was an outage but that it was over and I should have been able to reconnect. They gave me the solution-- reboot my modem. I did and I was "back on line".
Are you "offline" this morning- spiritually speaking- trying to "do" without being connected to "The Source"? Then it is time for you to "reboot"! Get back to where you left off. Go back to the place where you stopped being obedient, where you stopped giving attention to the things that kept you connected, repent and start doing it now. Once Samson's hair grew back- symbolic of restoration- he then accomplished the work of the Lord, and did an even greater work then he had before-- "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Judges 16:30)
Have a great day. If you are "offline" and trying to accomplish something in your own strength, you can't do it. It's time to "reboot" and get reconnected to the Lord.
For further reading:
Zechariah 4:6
John 14:12
Isaiah 1:19
Judges 16
Yesterday, I was unable to send out the devotional because there was a problem with my server. I tried and tried and tried to connect to the Internet and my server but never could. But even though I did not get to send yesterday's devotional, something good came out of it any way- today's word.
The thought kept coming to me-- many people are trying to do something for God without being "connected" to Him. If the connection is broken you can't do it; try as you will, but it just won't work. You can't witness effectively, you can't have the boldness that you need, you can't shine brightly, you aren't salty, your testimony doesn't have much influence.
Yesterday, there was an outage on the server that caused me not to be able to do what I needed to do to get the word out. But for us, the disconnection comes through many avenues. It comes through disobedience. When we are living in disobedience it will hinder the connection, and without the connection we are powerless, as was the case with Samson. He had the call of God, but he didn't have the power because he disobeyed. Also, being negligent to do the things we need to do to stay connected will cause a problem. Such things as reading the Bible, having communion with the Lord in prayer, going to His house, spending time in worship. This all are factors.
When the problem continued and I was unable to connect to the Internet, I finally decided to call my Internet provider. They confirmed the problem was an outage but that it was over and I should have been able to reconnect. They gave me the solution-- reboot my modem. I did and I was "back on line".
Are you "offline" this morning- spiritually speaking- trying to "do" without being connected to "The Source"? Then it is time for you to "reboot"! Get back to where you left off. Go back to the place where you stopped being obedient, where you stopped giving attention to the things that kept you connected, repent and start doing it now. Once Samson's hair grew back- symbolic of restoration- he then accomplished the work of the Lord, and did an even greater work then he had before-- "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." (Judges 16:30)
Have a great day. If you are "offline" and trying to accomplish something in your own strength, you can't do it. It's time to "reboot" and get reconnected to the Lord.
For further reading:
Zechariah 4:6
John 14:12
Isaiah 1:19
Judges 16
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
"Secret Service"
"...lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20b
I just woke up from the oddest dream. I dreamed that my mother in law, my husband, myself and it seems like there was someone else there also, were all together and we were on a trip- but most of where we were was local. The odd part of the dream was that there was also two secret service people assigned to be with us. They were there to watch over us, keep us safe and make sure we had everything that we needed. We didn't make a move that they weren't there. We didn't feel like we were their "prisoners", instead they were very attentive to us. They were very nice and polite and it was nice having them with us. But throughout the dream I kept wondering how we rated having them with us. What did we do that made us so special as to have them stick so close to us?
I have pondered the dream wondering if there was a spiritual significance to it- because many of my dreams are messages to me from the Lord. I felt I wanted to share it because whether this is the meaning or not, it did remind me that for the children of God we are never alone.
There is always the unseen presence of the Lord watching over us, walking with us, meeting our needs, guiding and directing our steps. While I couldn't figure out in the dream why we were so important as to have this special treatment, I can figure out why the Lord is with us and never leaves us. He told us in His word why. It's because of His love. He loves us with an everlasting love. It's because we are special, elect and precious to Him. It's because we love His Son and have made Him the Savior and Lord of our lives. It's because we are God's delight and joy. It's because He has placed a great value on us and then paid the highest price possible to have us for His own dearly, beloved children.
I may never be so important or special as to have people assigned to me to watch over my care, but there is one thing that I know for sure, I have the Lord watching over me and He cares for me more than any one else could ever possibly care for me. And He is always there even when no one else is and even when I don't see Him. The same applies to you also if you are His child.
Have a great day. The Lord is watching over you all the time and has promised to be with you-- not because you are so great, but because He loves you so much.
For further reading:
Hebrews 13:5
Joshua 1:5
Psalm 91:15
Isaiah 43:2
I just woke up from the oddest dream. I dreamed that my mother in law, my husband, myself and it seems like there was someone else there also, were all together and we were on a trip- but most of where we were was local. The odd part of the dream was that there was also two secret service people assigned to be with us. They were there to watch over us, keep us safe and make sure we had everything that we needed. We didn't make a move that they weren't there. We didn't feel like we were their "prisoners", instead they were very attentive to us. They were very nice and polite and it was nice having them with us. But throughout the dream I kept wondering how we rated having them with us. What did we do that made us so special as to have them stick so close to us?
I have pondered the dream wondering if there was a spiritual significance to it- because many of my dreams are messages to me from the Lord. I felt I wanted to share it because whether this is the meaning or not, it did remind me that for the children of God we are never alone.
There is always the unseen presence of the Lord watching over us, walking with us, meeting our needs, guiding and directing our steps. While I couldn't figure out in the dream why we were so important as to have this special treatment, I can figure out why the Lord is with us and never leaves us. He told us in His word why. It's because of His love. He loves us with an everlasting love. It's because we are special, elect and precious to Him. It's because we love His Son and have made Him the Savior and Lord of our lives. It's because we are God's delight and joy. It's because He has placed a great value on us and then paid the highest price possible to have us for His own dearly, beloved children.
I may never be so important or special as to have people assigned to me to watch over my care, but there is one thing that I know for sure, I have the Lord watching over me and He cares for me more than any one else could ever possibly care for me. And He is always there even when no one else is and even when I don't see Him. The same applies to you also if you are His child.
Have a great day. The Lord is watching over you all the time and has promised to be with you-- not because you are so great, but because He loves you so much.
For further reading:
Hebrews 13:5
Joshua 1:5
Psalm 91:15
Isaiah 43:2
Monday, October 26, 2009
"What Flows?"
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:38
What is flowing out of you? What flows from your life? Does a river of life? Does peace, joy, love, kindness? Or does bitterness, anger, criticism, pride, haughtiness, unforgiveness?
A flowing river touches the banks and its waters cause life to come to the vegetation that is beside it. Whatever is flowing from our lives touches other people's lives. It either touches their lives in a good and positive way and they are edified, or it touches their lives a bad and negative way and tears them down. If it's a river of life that is flowing from us it causes others to be blessed and helps produce life in them. If it's a river that is polluted with bad attitudes, selfishness and malice then it brings discouragement and can be destructive.
Each day we must examine the "water" that is flowing from our lives and make sure that it is the clean pure water of the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, we must go to God and ask for a cleansing to take place within us until that which produces life is flowing freely from us.
Have a great day. There is something that "flows" from all our lives, the question is, "What is it?".
For further reading:
Psalm 51:10
Matthew 12:34
James 3:9-11
Galatians 5:19-24
What is flowing out of you? What flows from your life? Does a river of life? Does peace, joy, love, kindness? Or does bitterness, anger, criticism, pride, haughtiness, unforgiveness?
A flowing river touches the banks and its waters cause life to come to the vegetation that is beside it. Whatever is flowing from our lives touches other people's lives. It either touches their lives in a good and positive way and they are edified, or it touches their lives a bad and negative way and tears them down. If it's a river of life that is flowing from us it causes others to be blessed and helps produce life in them. If it's a river that is polluted with bad attitudes, selfishness and malice then it brings discouragement and can be destructive.
Each day we must examine the "water" that is flowing from our lives and make sure that it is the clean pure water of the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, we must go to God and ask for a cleansing to take place within us until that which produces life is flowing freely from us.
Have a great day. There is something that "flows" from all our lives, the question is, "What is it?".
For further reading:
Psalm 51:10
Matthew 12:34
James 3:9-11
Galatians 5:19-24
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Double Armor"
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11
We need to daily put on the full armor that the Lord has provided for us. It has a two-fold purpose that brings victory every time. First, it helps us to "stand". It gives us the ability to "dig in our heels" and not move so that we don't give up the ground that we have already taken from the enemy. Also, it gives us the ability to go forward and be victorious in taking "new ground".
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to begin to take the promised land for their inheritance, the Lord gave them what they needed to take each city. They would capture one city, then move on to the next one to capture it. They were involved in a two-fold conquering process. Capturing the cities and holding on to what they had already captured so that the enemy could not reclaim it.
This is the same thing that we are doing in a spiritual sense. We too are going forward conquering through the weapons that God has placed in our hands and also holding on to what we have already conquered. So, remember today that these weapons will help you to advance forward to win more battles and conquer more enemies, and they will help you to guard, protect and hold on to what you have already gained.
Have a great day. You have been given powerful weapons that will help you advance and conquer new areas, and enable you to hold on to what you already have victoriously received.
For further reading:
Ephesians 6:11-19
2 Corinthians 10:4
Galatians 5:1
Romans 8:37
We need to daily put on the full armor that the Lord has provided for us. It has a two-fold purpose that brings victory every time. First, it helps us to "stand". It gives us the ability to "dig in our heels" and not move so that we don't give up the ground that we have already taken from the enemy. Also, it gives us the ability to go forward and be victorious in taking "new ground".
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to begin to take the promised land for their inheritance, the Lord gave them what they needed to take each city. They would capture one city, then move on to the next one to capture it. They were involved in a two-fold conquering process. Capturing the cities and holding on to what they had already captured so that the enemy could not reclaim it.
This is the same thing that we are doing in a spiritual sense. We too are going forward conquering through the weapons that God has placed in our hands and also holding on to what we have already conquered. So, remember today that these weapons will help you to advance forward to win more battles and conquer more enemies, and they will help you to guard, protect and hold on to what you have already gained.
Have a great day. You have been given powerful weapons that will help you advance and conquer new areas, and enable you to hold on to what you already have victoriously received.
For further reading:
Ephesians 6:11-19
2 Corinthians 10:4
Galatians 5:1
Romans 8:37
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