October 16, 2009 at 12:42 pm (Our Faith Journey)
This week I have fought some discouragement. I know we are going to face it but I was not prepared for it and really was not focused on it until my husband started asking me some questions about it. All the sudden it became my complete focus. It started to monopolize the rest of my week. I knew that first off I needed to get some time alone and figure out what I was believing about myself in the midst of the situation. Upon doing that God had another divine appointment for me. At the last minute Tony and I ended up going to lunch with a friend of ours on Thursday that is also in ministry. I did not say a whole lot about my discouragement until briefly mentioning it at the end of our time together. He asked me a very good “Why” questions that really got me to thinking and based on my response it revealed to me what I was looking to for security. God began to confirm in my spirit what I had been sensing Him to be saying the last several weeks to me. What I need is Him – time with Him – focusing on Him – being with Him – Abiding in Him – Depending on Him. That is the message of what we teach here is that we are to “exchange our life for Christ’s life, our strength for His strength”. I am to seek to remember Christ is my life!
Psalm 62:1-2 “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.” NASB
vs. 5-8 “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” NASB
Psalm 63:1 “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself; how I praise you! I will honor you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest of foods. I will praise you with songs of joy.” NLT
vs. 8 ”I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” NLT
Lamentations 3:21-26 “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait fro Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.” NASB
Dana
Leave a Comment
October 7, 2009 at 2:33 pm (Grace Insights)
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”
~Titus 2:11-12
Grace is much more than forgiveness for our sin. It is what teaches us not to sin in the first place. I have struggled with letting go of my incredibly legalistic way of living (my brand of flesh) because I’m afraid that if I don’t follow the rules, my life will begin to spin out of control. I think this may be a common fear that keeps many people trapped in legalism. We’re afraid that if we focus too much on grace, we’ll end up sinning more. But the Truth is actually the opposite of what we think. It’s the law that urges us to sin (Romans 7) and grace that teaches us not to. Living by grace gets our self-effort in doing the right thing out of the way so that the Holy Spirit can produce His fruit in us–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Rebecca 
Leave a Comment
October 2, 2009 at 1:41 pm (Prayer & Praise)
I Corinthians 2:9-14 “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. ”
I Corinthians 2:16b “But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
A wonderful aspect of living under the New Covenant of God’s Grace is that we have the priviledge of fellowship and union with Christ. Part of that fellowship and union is being able to hear God speak to us. Yes, He speaks! We often miss it due to our busy lifestyles or our impure motives etc… But I am learning if we stop, take time to listen and be still, He speaks!
Under the New Covenant we now can receive wisdom from the Spirit because we now have the Spirit of the living God within us to talk to us and guide us. The Holy Spirit is the key to everything in a believer’s life! I think the enemy of our souls does everything in his power to cause us to miss this because it offers such a vital link to victory. Because no one knows the thoughts of God except the spirit of God and we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit of God inside us. So we can now understand what God has freely given us. We literally have the mind of Christ so we can know God’s thoughts and heart on an issue/decision. This is marvelous news!!
Dana
Leave a Comment
