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Jesus! The Perfect Heat Protection

Working Your Faith

Work Your Faith - Exercise The Truth

Acts 24:16 KJV
 "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.."

It is two very different things to know the truth and to exercise - to put into motion - what you know to be the truth. We need to start exercising those truths.

We can know that physical exercise is good for our body and that would be "true". However, just to know it's true isn't enough. If you want to see results, then you must put that truth into motion. As one exercises their body, there will be a change.

If you are looking for change in your life or looking to see a change in someone else - peace, joy, blessings, etc. - it's time to start exercising the truths that you know.

Let's read what James has to say about it:

James 2:14 - 26 NIV
Faith Without Works (Deeds) Is Dead

14  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
15  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
16  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
17  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18  But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20  You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
21  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
24  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Focus on consistently exercising Scripture in your life every day - day after day. It's one thing to know a truth, but another thing (and an essential thing) to put it into practice through exercise - through "works".

So, what do you say we put on our work clothes! It's time to be moving and be putting feet on our faith and prayer life. Amen?

Casting Cares

 

 

 

 

 

God's Care for His People

Psalms 18:2-3  NKJV 
 "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised"

God's protection of his people is limitless and can take many forms. David characterized God's care with five awesome symbols.

God is like ...

(1)  a rock that can't be moved by any who would harm us,

(2)  a fortress or place of safety where the enemy can't follow,

(3)  a shield that comes between us and harm,

(4)  a horn of salvation-a symbol of might and power, and

(5)  a stronghold high above our enemies.


If you need protection, need guidance, need direction, need to know your purpose in life; if you need to know anything really, look to God. He is the author and finisher of your life. If anyone would know what you need and have the answer for; it ought to be Him. He created you. Amen?

WHAT DOES THE HOLY WORD SAY?

Bible Word Study
WHAT DOES THE HOLY WORD SAY?

If you and I are going to be totally unselfish and truly Scriptural, we must desire, pray and expect to receive from God not only enough to meet our own needs, but plenty left over so that we can give joyfully to help somebody else.

Luke 6:38
What does this scripture say about sowing and reaping? How does it apply to giving? 

Isaiah 1:19
What is the result of obeying God's principles?

Psalm 34:8-10
What happens when you put your total trust in the Lord?


Blessed To Be A Blessing
An Instrument Of Divine Favor

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" Luke 6:38
 

A LIFE OF GIVING

The expression "to be a blessing" actually means to be an instrument of God's divine favor. It is such a blessing to be chosen to administer God's divine favor in the life of another person, preventing misfortune or catastrophe. There is no greater joy known to man.

The problem is that so many people do not understand this principle. They think they should be blessed of God for their own sake alone, just to get their own needs met. They are only too happy to hear that they will have plenty left over - but for the wrong reason; they think it is to be used to satisfy their own selfish desires.

We are not put on this earth to see how much we can acquire or accumulate during our life span, we are put on this earth to see how much of our life we can give away. Just as Jesus gave His life at the cross for us and became a blessing to us, we should also give our lives to those around us.


The Truth About Prosperity

In and through Christ, God has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). Through His covenant, He has placed everything that He is, everything that He has and everything that He can do at our disposal.
 

The Root of Evil?

First Timothy 6:10 tells us that..."the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Notice that it doesn't say money is the root of all evil. It says that the "love" of money is the bringer of sorrow and the root of all evil. Make your personal commitment right now that you are going to put God's Word first in your life and reject the traditions of men. It is not God holding back your money. Poverty and lack are a result of the curse, but Jesus came and set us free.


A Means to an End

Money certainly has its place in our lives; it is a tool, a means to an end. True prosperity is the ability to use God's ability and power to meet the needs of mankind; regardless of what those needs may be. There are many, many Christians who are doing a lot of good for the Kingdom of God, and in this world because they have the financial ability to do it.

How can you be a blessing unless you are blessed? Now is the time to dump any poverty attitudes you may have about money and embrace the truth of God's prosperity plan for your life (Prov. 10:22).


Word Study- Dig Deeper

1. Give

2. Running Over

3. Measure

4. Prosperity

5. Blessings/Bless/Blessed



Thoughts To Ponder On

Renew your mind to God's Word concerning prosperity. Remain before God with a clean heart so He can show you the mystery of sowing and reaping. Refuse to allow a poverty mentality to choke out the great commission to, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" Matt. 28:19

Don't settle for living under the curse of poverty. You've been redeemed from that curse of the Law by the blood of Jesus Christ! Stand on God's Word and claim the blessing of Abraham that is yours in Christ. Believe God for a full supply in every area of your life, be blessed to be a blessing! 



Blessed To Be A Blessing Scriptures

2 Corinthians 8:9
Deuteronomy 8:18
Proverbs 8:17-18,21
Psalm 35:27
Luke 6:38
Deuteronomy 28:2,11-12
Philippians 4:19


Further Scriptures

Ephesians 4:28
Deuteronomy 28: 4,8,13
1 Timothy 4:8

Shhhh! I'm Busy Listening

In The Stillness

Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know I am God."

Let me ask you a question. Does the noise of life ever make you feel as if you are going to completely lose your mind?

Everybody wanting something at the exact same time; voices talking over one another. Traffic. Car alarms going off. The neighbors next door fighting yet again. The TV is too loud. The car passing by has their stereo up to the point that it rattles your windows as they breeze by.

Life is loud. People are loud. Traffic is loud. In fact; loudness is just another part of your every day life. It's enough to make anyone think they are going to go completely mad.

There is a place you can go. A place where all the noise is silenced.

Some people call it their sanctuary. Some call it a prayer closet. Whatever you call it; it is in that certain personal place where you can go to hear the still, small voice of your Savior; your Shepherd. He is waiting for you; always. Waiting for you to step away from all of the noise and chaos of the world and just spend some time with Him.

He rewards those who diligently seek Him. He quiets the storms. Drowns out the noise. Restores peace and calm to your harried spirit. Isn't it time to sacrifice all of that noise in favor of spending a few moments just to hear the voice of the One who can guide you and bring you peace?

Sometimes being "still" in the company of the One that loves us so much is all we need to do to bring life completely back into focus. Rearrange your priorities.

Make time every day to meet with your Beloved Lord and rest assured that He'll be there waiting when you do. Always ...

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Stay in The Safe Zone

Life in the Boundaries

Proverbs 3:1-6 NKJV
1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Exercising self-control and self-discipline, and establishing boundaries and borders in our life are some of the most important things we can do. A life that has no discipline is one that is filled with carelessness and heartache.

The Word of God establishes the necessary boundaries to keep us in God's safety zone. It tells us what we can do, and what we better not do, in order to be safe.

As Christians - much like the rest of the world - we can think it's kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of "Yeah! That's me! Living on the edge!" It's become a popular way of looking at life. But to be honest, God doesn't want us living on the edge, because if we're living on the edge, then we have no margin for error. Not to mention that it's stressful and stress stills your Joy.

Let me put it another way to bring "life on the edge" and "living outside God's boundaries" more into focus.

Highways have painted lines, one on each side and one in the center. These lines provide margins for our safety while we're driving. They didn't just put them there because they had nothing better to do. If we go over the line on one side of the road, the best case scenario is that we would probably just run into a ditch. The worst is that we could hit a walking pedestrian or bicyclist, men working on the roadways or a broken down automobile.

If we cross over the line in the middle, the best we can hope for is that there are no oncoming automobiles at all or that we simply side swipe another car resulting only in damages to both vehicles. Statistics tell us though that the odds are that we are going to hit another car head on; in which case we and the other driver could get killed or at least seriously injured. The point being is that we like those lines being on the road because they help to keep us safe and they help us to feel safe while we are driving.

It's like that in our personal lives, too. When we have boundaries, borders, and margins, we feel much better; we feel safer and as a result we experience God's peace and security.

The key is to go to God's Word, where He has laid out all of the lines, all of the boundaries, all of the margins - everything we need  - to live by.

Read His Word. Let God direct your path every day; not just once in awhile. It is so much safer, so much less stressful when you do.

Cross my heart !

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Make a Difference Today- Pray!

Outside Our Window

Outside Our Window

John 4:35
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest".

Here’s an interesting fact about American church history that you may not have known. Years ago, when the first New England churches were designed, they were built with clear windows rather than the stained glass ones we see so often today. The graveyard was generally built in the churchyard, which could be seen clearly from the pulpit by the minister by simply looking out the window.

Why do you think that was?

Interestingly enough; it was so that the pastor could see the graveyard while he preached his sermon and be reminded of the urgency of his message. It was equally important to be able to see out so he would be reminded that everyone who sat in the pews before him as he spoke, would eventually fill a place in that cemetery outside the window and ultimately have to stand before God to be judged.

Can you imagine the weight of that?

Back during those times, the first and foremost priority of the church was to bring men and women into a right relationship with the Lord. That was the goal; that was the plan. Not to meet quotas, or bring in a certain amount of money in tithes. Not to entertain or wow with theatrics but to simply see people begin and then build on a relationship with God the Father.

What has happened to us that we have started building churches with windows that you can’t see out of or see in to?

What happened to us that we began to lock the doors of the church building at a certain time - locked doors that prevents people that are desperately seeking God at 1 o'clock in the morning from being able to find that solace that being in the church brings?

What has happened to us that we are more concerned with what other people are wearing on the outside than the state of their mortal souls they have on the inside?

We have changed. As a church, as a people, as a society. Sadly; not for the better. There is still a harvest outside of our windows.
 
The only question remains is:
What do you plan to do about it?

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Are You Ready?

Bottled Tears

Tears in a Bottle

Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

Do you keep a journal of all the times you have cried? For some of us, that might fill a library of books. In the above scripture, the Psalmist tells us that God keeps a record of our tears and that He saves some of those tears in a bottle. Now I wonder why would God be interested in our tears? Could it be that our tears speak a special language to the very heart of God?

When my children were newborns I would place them in a small crib in my bedroom. At night I would move that crib just as close to my bed as I could get it. Usually, before I lay down to sleep, I would sit quietly on the edge of the bed and watch my baby sleep. I wanted to make sure that the little one was breathing normally. Then after I turned off the lamp I would lie there and listen to see if the baby was still breathing. Sometimes I even put my hand on that little chest as I would drift off to sleep. If at some point in the night the baby made the first whimpers of a cry, I would immediately awaken. I quickly responded to my child because I loved them so very much. I did not want any harm to come to my tiny baby. My mother-heart was tuned in to the cries of my infant.

I believe that is how God watches over me and over all who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for saving grace. After we have been born anew into God's family, God is our Heavenly Father. Now His heart is tuned in to our cries. Our tears are precious to Him. They stir the heart of God our Father and He responds to our tears.

Read these verses:

Isaiah 38:5  Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

2 Kings 20:5  Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

God saw Hezekiah's tears and He responded to those tears and to his crying out in prayer.

Perhaps you are searching for answers to your own tears as you read this article. Maybe your hopes and dreams have been shattered by the unfaithfulness of a spouse, the death of someone dear or some other tragedy in your life. Satan may even have whispered to your heart that nobody understands your pain and nobody really cares that your world has crashed into little pieces at your feet. 

Job said, (Job 16:20) My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
You may have cried out to God for help but it seemed that even He was not listening. Be assured, He has heard your cries. If you are His child, He has heard your cries and He will respond.

The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all (Psalm 34:17, 19).

God does not always answer our cries when and in the way that we  think He should. He responds in a way and time that is for our ultimate good.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9).

We have One to whom we may pour out all the deep hurts in our heart and we do not have to fear that our confidences will be betrayed. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:8).

God tells us that we may approach Him boldly so that we may receive His mercy and grace in our time of need.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Take courage in the knowledge that one day, there will be no more tears in our eyes.  There will be no more sickness or sadness and no more death.  He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces (Isaiah 25:8).

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:4).

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (Revelation 7:17).  

One day, perhaps very soon, our Heavenly Father is going to come for us. He will scoop us up in His comforting arms and He will wipe all our tears away forever. Perhaps, He will show us those bottles of tears that He has been collecting. He might just select one of mine and say, "Do you see this bottle here? These are the tears you cried. You were never forgotten. I did care that your heart was broken. I was there comforting you".

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ...

Keeper of The Promises

I Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words

* * *

John 14:1-3
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

* * *

I Corinthians 15:51-53
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

* * *

Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

* * *

I Corinthians 1:7-8
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

* * *

Romans 8:19
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

* * *

Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

* * *

I Thessalonians 1:10
10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

* * *

I Thessalonians 2:19
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

* * *

I Thessalonians 5:9
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

* * *

I Thessalonians 5:23
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

* * *

2 Thessalonians 2:1
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,

* * *

I Timothy 6:14
14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,

* * *

2 Timothy 4:1
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead £at His appearing and His kingdom:

* * *

2 Timothy 4:8
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

* * *

Titus 2:13
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

* * *

Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

* * *

James 5:7-9
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

* * *

I Peter 1:7,13
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

* * *

I Peter 5:4
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

* * *

I John 2:28,29 - 3:1,2
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is

* * *

Jude 21
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

* * *

Revelation 2:25
25 But hold fast what you have till I come.

* * *

Revelation 3:10
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

* * *

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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The Secret Of Contentment

Contentment and Satisfaction

1 Timothy 6:6  KJV 
 "But godliness with contentment is great gain".

The Bible says that godliness accompanied with contentment is great and abundant gain. What I take from that is, a godly person who is content is in the very best place he can possibly be.

Joy doesn't come from having your circumstances in order and under control; it comes from what's in your heart. For example, the world is full of people who have what they think they want, and they're still not happy. In fact, some of the most unhappy people in the world are people who seem to "have it all."

Contentment is not about fame or being well-known, how much money you have, your position at work or your social circle. It's not found in your level of education or what side of the tracks you were born on. Contentment is a heart attitude.

There's nobody happier than a truly thankful person, a truly content person. The word content means 'being satisfied to the point where nothing disturbs you no matter what's going on, but not satisfied to the point that you never want any change.'

We all want to see things get better. But where you are right this minute doesn't have to disturb you. You can choose to believe that God is working and things are changing, and you will see the result of it in due time.

Life is all about the choices we make, so choose contentment and satisfaction every single day of your life. You won't go wrong when you do.

Christ Who Strengthens You

Philippians 4:13 is a very popular scripture that is often quoted out of context. It says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

That doesn't mean you can just do anything you decide to do because you want to do it. Paul was talking specifically about how he was able, through the power of Christ, to be content no matter what his circumstances were.

I do believe that, by God's grace, we can do whatever we need to do in life. I think that's a mindset we need to have. There's nothing that's too much for you if you're trusting God. You can handle whatever comes your way because God promises that He'll never put more on us than we can bear and deal with.

Keep a positive attitude no matter where you are right now, no matter what's going on in your life. Keep your chin up, God is on your side. Stop being upset about things you can't do anything about.

God wants you to know that He has an individual plan for your life, and He wants you to accept His unique plan for you and not compare your plan with anybody else's. You have to trust God knows more about what you need and what you can handle than you do. After all, He knows you better than you know yourself!

I want my contentment to come from  the Lord. Not from my circumstances, not from my current situation, not from the things that I have or do not have. But just to be content in the Lord where ever I am in this life.

If we keep our eyes open we can see every day that God has a plan for each of our lives in different ways. His way is always the perfect way.

God, Give me the strength to choose to be content every single day. Amen!

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Jesus Did Mine ... Who Did Yours?

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Be a Quitter

Say "No" to Bad Habits

Breaking Bad Habits

Romans 12:21 KJV 
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good".

You can break up with your bad habits just like you can break up with a horrible boyfriend or girlfriend. Bad relationships are one of the hardest habits to break, but if we choose to end them, we can spare ourselves a lot of trouble and pain in the long rule. Let me explain.


For years and years (more years than I care to count; really), I had a habit of getting upset (mega anxious really) when things were not going very well in the lives of my grown children. Or my own personal finances started to dip a little on the low side for reasons that were completely beyond my control. It never failed that I would always imagine the worst case scenario of how things would unfold. It was a habit and a nasty habit at that!


Maybe that isn't your bad habit. Maybe you gossip a little too much or cuss a little too much or drink a little too much, or watch a little too much TV or spend money on things that you don't really need (and often wonder after the fact why you bought it). Whatever your bad habit is, you can break it.


I'm not going to say that breaking a bad habit is easy - nothing that is good for us ever is, but it's God's desire for us to take authority over our bad habits. He doesn't want us to be "bossed around" by our emotions, or controlled by our bad habits. He wants us to have victory; to have dominion over these things.


Breaking a bad habit requires making a series of good choices, one after the other on a continual basis. Day by day baby steps. Most of us will try to do that on our own without the help of the Holy Spirit. But eventually (usually after we have failed repeatedly) we finally figure out that we can not please God without God helping us. It just isn't possible. We are flawed human beings. Without God to help us get beyond those flaws then we are doomed to failure. We set ourselves up to fail. But; with the assistance of the Holy Spirit we can have victory. We can break bad habits.


The Amplified Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as our "standby." He's always standing by in case you get into trouble and need a little help. But He won't just show up uninvited. You have to ask Him for help. That's hard. We have become so pre-programmed into thinking that we must do everything on our own in order to be considered 'successful' in the eyes of others that we often have to dig deep in order to ask for help. Even from God, from Jesus and from the Holy Spirit. Admittedly it is a humbling experience to have to ask for help but the reality of the situation is that without this Supernatural help we can not succeed. We just can't.


Romans 12:21 says we "overcome (master) evil with good." That's one of the biggest secrets in the Word of God. It's a lot easier to make the right choice when you're focusing on God and your victory over bad habits instead of focusing on the fear of failure.


Make the choice today to walk in the Spirit to overcome bad habits and live in victory! You'll be better for it. I promise! ~wink~

JoyFul Sunday Blessings!

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Have You Read Yours Today?

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Follow the Joy

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!


All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.


Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.


Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

Jesus! Follow The Joy

Angels surrounding His throne and
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
The whole earth is full of His glory
All nations bow to His name
 

His majesty fills the Heavens
Our hearts give thunderous praise
Declare the Lord is forever
Make a joyful noise in this place.