Blessed Sunday

Trust In the Trails

Trust God Through Trials
 
Luke 22:42 NIV
" “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Growing into a mature Christian who follows the Holy Spirit is not something that happens overnight, it is a learning process that takes time. Little by little, one experience after another, God tries and tests our emotions, giving us opportunities to grow.

God allows us to go through difficult situations that stir up our emotions. In this way, you and I are able to see for ourselves how emotionally unstable we can be and how desperately we need His help.

Jesus exemplified this for us. The night before He died for our sins, He was in great emotional turmoil. He didn't want to die, but He moved past His emotions and prayed to God, "Not my will, but Yours be done." Things certainly didn't get better immediately, but in the end Jesus emerged victorious through the greatest trial possible.

You can make it through your emotional trials. Jesus wasn't led by His feelings, and you don't have to be either. When God lets things affect you emotionally, seize the moment and view it as an opportunity to step into a place of absolute trust in God.

Prayer:

Lord, I know that I can trust in You when emotional trials come my way. With Jesus as my example, I say, "Not my will, but Yours be done." You know what's best for me and I trust You completely. (complete by adding in your own prayers here)

 

Trust

Hebrews 1:2 NKJV
..."  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds ..." 

Jesus was God's agent in creating the world. As followers of Christ, we  may believe that Christ knows and controls the laws of heaven (pertaining to salvation and spiritual growth), but we may act each day as though our financial, family, or medical problems are beyond His reach.

If Jesus could create the universe, then no part of life is out of His control. Do not exclude Jesus' wisdom and the Bible's guidance in your daily problems of life. No expert, professor, doctor, lawyer, or financial advisor knows more about your ultimate security and well-being than Jesus does.

Go first to God for advice. Talk to Him in prayer and listen to Him in his Word. He can sustain you in times of stress. From that perspective you can evaluate all the other wisdom and help He has made available to you.

In other words; Jesus is the only One with the real answers to any problem you will ever have - not the world and the people in it.

Trust Jesus!

Following Habakkuk

Wait For It

Habakkuk 2:3  NKJV 
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry".

Evil and injustice seem to have the upper hand in the world. Like Habakkuk, Christians often feel angry and discouraged as they see what goes on. Habakkuk complained vigorously to God about the situation. God's answer to Habakkuk is the same answer he would give us: "Be patient! I will work out my plans in my perfect timing."

It isn't easy to be patient, but it helps to remember that God hates sin even more than we do. Punishment of sin will certainly come. As God told Habakkuk, "Wait patiently." To trust God fully means to trust Him even when we don't understand why events occur as they do.

Picture Post

And There Was Peace

The God's Kind of Peace

John 16:33 KJV 
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world".

Having an attitude of peace and calm is priceless. It's an attitude that says, 'I'm trusting God,' and it speaks powerfully to people. But it takes time, focus, and the grace of God to be consistently peaceful.

Too often our stress level is tied up in our circumstances. You could be stressed because you're always busy or you're struggling financially or because you're not getting along with someone you love.

To conquer the stress in our lives, we need to learn to practice the peace that's been provided for us by the overcoming power of Jesus.

One way to develop consistent peace is to learn to live 'in the now.' We can spend a lot of time thinking about the past, or wondering what the future holds, but we can't accomplish anything unless our mind is focused on today. Today is what matters. Today is what counts. Tomorrow might not even come- so why would I waste precious time concerning myself about things that may not even happen?

The Bible tells us that God gives us grace for each day that we live. I believe God's grace is the power that enables and energizes us to do what we need to do - and He gives it generously, as we need it. Moment by moment and day by day.

I do not believe that He super charges us to face life a week or month or year in advance. But give each of us just enough grace to get us from this point to the next point and to the next point. I believe that He does this so that we can fully rely on Him to pull us through and so that He can reveal to us His Mighty, Mighty strength and love for us.

Every day when we awake we need to say, 'God has given me today. I will rejoice in that alone.' No matter what happens, no matter how many things go wrong (or go right)- I am still going to thank God because I woke up this morning with the ability to enjoy this day- this life; moment by moment. I will not get bogged down in the details of today but will rely on God's grace to give me the peace to endure whatever may come.

If you can learn to trust God 'in the now,' receiving His grace as you need it, you can become a truly peaceful person - and that's powerful!


Dearest God,
 
I know that You have overcome any and every obstacle that the enemy can, will and often does, throw my way so I ask You to help me live in the peace that You've provided for me. Show me how to trust You as I live 'in the now.' I give thanks in advance because I know it will surely come. Amen and Amen!
 

 

Heart of Praise

Look Back so you can Move Forward

1 Samuel 12:24 NKJV 
"Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you".

Lately; I find that I have been reading quite abit about the life and times of Samuel. It's pretty fascinating. If you haven't already read it - you should. It's completely full of all kinds of wisdom. I'll give you the short version of the story and then you can go back and fill in the gaps on your own.

It's starts out with his mother "Hannah" who was a barren woman- unable to have children. Hannah was married to Elkanah - who had another wife named Peninnah. Penennah wasn't very nice to Hannah. She had a couple of children by Elkanah already, but since Hannah did not she thought that made her better than Hannah.

Every day Hannah went down to the Temple  ... crying, starving herself to death etc. etc. because she can't have a baby. One day she decides that she will try and strike a bargain; cut a deal, with God and so she promises Him that if He would give her a son then she would give it back to Him and never cut his hair.

Though God really isn't in the bargaining business - He gives her a son (Samuel) and in due course Hannah takes the baby to the Temple and drops him off to be raised by the Temple Priest named Eli. Because Hannah kept her end of the bargain God ends up given her a whole lot of children.

Well; Eli (the Temple priest) had two sons - who were just completely awful people that eventually they get what is coming to them in a hair raising battle- so exciting! Eli- who by then is old and blind hears of his sons deaths and falls off  of his seat, breaks his neck and dies. 

Samuel  - who grew up to be a righteous man - steady, kind, reliable (all the things that a good man should be) then became the Temple priest, a Prophet of God (God spoke to Samuel of thing to come) and eventually went on to be the Judge of Israel.

The story doesn't stop there; in fact, it gets even better. Samuel's has children of his own. He appoints his two oldest sons (Joel and Abijah) to be judges of Israel also but they end up being two completely horrible men that stir up all kinds of trouble ... but you'll have to read that for yourself.  ~wink ~

The point I want to focus on today is found in 1 Samuel 12:24 - Samuel reminds the people to take time to consider what great things God had done for them. Taking time for reflection allows us to focus our attention upon God's goodness in the past and strengthens our faith in the present and in the future.

Sometimes we are so "problem" or "what's going to happen in the future" oriented that we fail to take time to recall all the good that God has already done in our lives. We forget all of the bad times that God has seen us through. We forget all of the blessing that He has already given us.

Remember what God has already done for you so that you may continue your life with the purpose of gratitude already established in your heart. This same God that has taken care of you thus far is the very same God that will take care of you now and into the future.

Thank Him!
 

What Does The Holy Word Say?

Bible Word Study

WHAT DOES THE HOLY WORD SAY?

As you study about the blood of Jesus, you may not think it has too much prominence in the Word of God. But once you start seeing it, you'll find references to the blood is throughout the scriptures.

THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

1 Peter 1:18-19 KJV
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"
 
COMPREHENDING THE POWER OF THE BLOOD

Many times, as Christians, we have only throught of Jesus' blood as the agent that cleansed sin from our lives; but His shed blood has accomplished far more! Christians need to comprehend the power of the blood of Jesus. It is not one of the mysteries of the Bible, but something that we can study and comprehend. God wants us to know and understand the purpose and power of the blood of Jesus so we can continue to walk out victorious lives in Christ!

There is no question that there is supernatural power in the blood of Jesus that was shed during His death on the cross.

Revelation 12:11
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony...."

This scripture is saying that you are able to overcome trouble based on your testimony, or declaration of faith, along with what the blood of Jesus did on your behalf (1 Peter 1:18-22). Therefore, a major step in understanding the blood of Jesus is to declare your belief in what the blood has accomplished on your behalf. 

John 6:54
What does the shed blood of Jesus offer us?
 

Romans 3:24-25
What comes as a result of faith in the blood of Jesus?
 

John 16:13
How does this verse relate the the revelation gifts?
 

THE PERFECT SACRIFICE!

The New Testament is filled with references to the importance of Jesus' blood in our lives.


It is Written; The Blood of Jesus

Gives us life (John 6:53).
Brings us close to God (Eph. 2:13).
Purges our consciences (Heb. 9:14).
Gives us boldness to approach the throne of God.(Heb. 10:19)
Sanctifies us, making us holy. (Heb. 13:12)
And cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7; Rev 1:5).


The Old Testament Atonement for Sins

In Leviticus 17:11 God provided the condition for atonement. It was the shed blood upon the altar, the death of a spotless animal, which brought about the atonement or covering for sin.

According to Hebrews 10:4, the blood, or death, of bulls and goats was not sufficient to take away sins: an animal death was not an adequate substitute for the death of a sinful human. A spotless human life was required; the life of Jesus. Only a perfect sacrifice could accomplish our personal salvation. The sacrifice on the cross of Calvary was perfect. The shed blood was so pure that offending man and an offended God were completely reconciled.

Because of Jesus' sinless life and death, all the powers of hell are broken. When Jesus arose from the dead. He held in His hands the keys to death, hell, and the grave. He then gave us, His disciples, authority to bind and loose, authority to cast out demons.

Applying the Blood

In Exodus 12, the death angel passing through Egypt. God's people had been given detailed and explicit instructions on how to sacrifice a lamb, prepare it and, most importantly, how to take its blood and apply it to the doorposts of each house. The careful application of that blood to the doorposts would protect all those inside from the destroyer.

That first Passover was a type and foreshadowing of the protection we can enjoy because the blood of the ultimate Passover lamb, Jesus. Like Israel in Egypt, we must apply the blood in a specific way. We have to apply the blood of the Lamb over our households as surely as the Israelites did on that first Passover night. Not by taking a brush and painting blood on our doorposts, but by opening our mouths in faith. 


WORD STUDY
Look up the following words:


1. Redeemed  ________________________

2. Blood         ________________________ 

3. Without Blemish   ___________________



THOUGHTS TO DWELL ON

As believers, we are invariably going to be touched by unrighteousness in ways that will inhibit our fellowship with God. That's why it is so important to remain rightly connected with God's cleansing agent, the blood of Jesus. If you're taking care of yourself spiritually, there isn't anything on earth the devil can bring against you that the blood of Jesus isn't sufficient to overcome.

We must thank God daily for the blood of Christ. Talk about it. Speak it over your family. Paint it on the doorposts of your life by honoring it and giving it place in your thinking. Combine it with faith and you'll find yourself experiencing more blessing and victory than you ever thought possible. 


THE BLOOD OF JESUS:
Scriptures

Leviticus 17:11
Luke 22:20
Revelation 12:11
Hebrews 10:19-22
Ephesians 2:13
1 John 1:7
Hebrews 9:12-14
Exodus 12:13


Further Scriptures

Hebrews 9:15
John 6:54
Revelation 1:5-6
1 Corinthians 11:24-25

Breaking Yokes - Part IV.

Breaking Yokes - Part IV.

We are moving on in our study of giving up thoughts that the Enemy has planted in each of our brains to drag us down. Each week as you look at these I want you to really think about each negative thought and then tell yourself (firmly!) what the Bible says about it. Yokes are broken when you plant the Good Seeds in the fertile soil of your mind. As Good Seeds grow then weeds are choked out.

Again; we are not "fasting" in the traditional sense of giving up food or drink but "fasting" daily from these thoughts, ideas and opinions of ourselves and our life that Satan himself has chained You to for long enough. You can break these chains. Jesus saw to that Victory when He hung on the Cross!


21. I'm stuck. 

We are fasting from the thought that says: "I'm stuck. There's nothing I can do about my situation. There's just no way out." 

The Bible says, "man does not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." When you replace wrong thinking with right thinking, it changes you FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

We've all thought that at times. Sometimes we feel we've blown it, or we're at the end of our rope. There's nothing we can do, but it's a lie. There's always something that we can do. There's always a way.

Friends, the devil would love for you to believe there's nothing you can do about your situation. He wants you stuck! He wants you immobilized. He wants you defeated. And he achieves that by getting us to believe this lie.

This way of thinking keeps you from being decisive and taking action. Action produces results. But the thought that you can't do anything about your situation or you don't know what to do about it, STOPS ACTION.

Let's change that today!

A. Believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your every day life.
Romans 8:26 says, "We don't always know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us..." No matter what your situation is, the Holy Spirit knows how to bring about God's will for your life, as you pray and worship Him.

B. Think this thought today: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS.
There's nothing you can't impact with prayer. PRAYER gets you unstuck. It gets you moving again toward victory. Never see prayer as something that is weak. It is powerful. "And all things, whatsoever you shall ASK in prayer, believing, you SHALL RECEIVE." (Matthew 21:22)

C. Believe that FAITH FINDS A WAY.
In Mark 2:1-5, the four friends of the paralyzed man, could not find a way into the house where Jesus was. They were stuck. BUT THEY BELIEVED THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE SITUATION. Listen, by believing there was a way, they found one! They went up on the roof and lowered him down through the ceiling tiles, and the man was healed. Why? Because faith found a way! When we don't think it, we don't look for it.

D. Remember, Jesus is the 4th man in the fire.
When it seemed like the 3 Hebrew men were going to be burned in the fiery furnace, Jesus showed up. What was an impossible situation was made possible because Jesus was with them. AND HE IS WITH YOU, in your fire. John 14:6 says, "I am the WAY, the truth and the life." Folks, He is "the way", when there just seems to be no way. He IS YOUR WAY out of whatever situation you are in. EXPECT HIM to make a way.

E. Stop thinking you have to figure it all out right away.
When you feel stuck, just take one step forward. When Jesus was tempted to back down, and not go to the cross – the Bible says, "He went forward a little..." (Mark 14:35) When you feel paralyzed – like there's nothing you can do, just take a step. Don't think about all the steps. Just take the first one. In a relationship, the first step may be: saying you're sorry. If it's finances, maybe it's just cutting one area of spending, or giving one extra offering. If it's in your health, take the first step and have a salad. Just take that one little step!

THINK IT & SAY IT

I believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to intercede for me when things aren't working out. He will work through the situation to bring about God's will. He will bring me through.

As I pray, I believe things will change; they will improve. I walk by faith, not by sight, and faith finds a way.

I THINK AND BELIEVE THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY, even when it seems like there is none. And that way of thinking, opens the door. Jesus is the Way when there is no way.

He is with me no matter what fire I'm in; and no matter what the situation. I expect Him to make a way for me.

When I feel stuck, I will think about one step I can take that will move me toward healing, toward blessing, and toward God's will for my life.


22. It's just too late for me ... 

We are so "time conscious". We allow time to limit us and define for us what we're capable of; or what God can do in our lives.

It's often engrained in us that it's too late to change; too late to start a new career; too late to save your marriage; too late to recover from a major mistake; too late to start over again; too late to be forgiven or have a second chance.

Perhaps you just started with us in our FAST FROM WRONG THINKING, and you think it's too late to get involved and really see the changes you're looking for.

The truth is: IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!

We need to replace this wrong thinking with right thinking. I hope you're seeing the pattern that the thoughts we're dealing with are the ones that immobilize us. They are thoughts that get us to cave in and stay the way we are; to accept things the way they are. THIS IS what we're going after -mindsets that limit us; and keep us from the victory that God has for each of us.

When you realize that it's not too late, you have hope. You take action. You move forward. You stop thinking that it's futile and useless to do the right thing.

It's not too late...

* to turn your finances around.

* to recover from a tragedy or mistake

* to truly surrender your life to God and begin again!

* to take better care of yourself

* to apologize

* to start saving

* maybe you have developed a habit or dug yourself into a real bad hole. it's not too late to get out of it.

* to change the way you see yourself.

A. UN-DECIDE that it's too late for these things to change. Un-decide that you can't recover! Un-decide that the damage is irreversible.

B. Meditate on the fact that God created time, and He can multiply it.
The earth and sun stood still for Joshua 10:12-13, "And Joshua spoke to the Lord at Gibeon... and said in the sight of Israel, 'Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon in the valley of Aijalon'. So the sun stood still and the moon stopped."Joshua had control over time, for God's purpose. We need to start thinking that way - we have control over time. It doesn't control us!

C. Today, think about the great cloud of witnesses, for whom it wasn't too late:

* It wasn't too late for Abraham to be a father at 99 years old.

* It wasn't too late for Sarah to be a mother at 90!

* It wasn't too late for Peter after he denied the Lord 3 times.

* It wasn't too late for Paul after he had persecuted the church and killed other Christians! God later used him to write two-thirds of the New Testament after the book of Acts.

* It wasn't too late for the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34), or the man who was lame at Bethesda pool for 38 years. (John 5:1-10)

* In business, it wasn't too late for Ray Kroc, who at the age of 56 started the first McDonalds...(How did that work out for him?)

D. Meditate on God's mercy and grace.
Lamentations 3:22 says, "His mercy is new every morning..." Hebrews 4:15 says, "Come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace in your time of need." Mercy is when God doesn't give us the judgment that we DO deserve. And "grace" is when God gives us the goodness that we don't deserve.

E. Adjust your thinking here: Stop making excuses for why it's too late.
God doesn't listen to our excuses. Realize, HE IGNORES OUR EXCUSES, and EXPECTS us to believe in His faithfulness. We claim we have low self-esteem or a disability. (Moses wasn't confident and he had a speech impediment, but God gave him chance after chance to be used by Him to deliver God's people.)

F. Meditate on the verse in 2 Timothy 2:13, "Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself."

G. Ask God for more time, and another chance.
Hezekiah did in 2 Kings 20:1-6. When Hezekiah turned back to the Lord, and asked for a second chance, God told him, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Surely I will heal you...And I will add to your days FIFTEEN YEARS." If he did it for Hezekiah, He will do it for you!

THINK IT & SAY IT

I believe that it is not too late for things to improve in my life, and radically turn around.

I believe in the God of 2nd chances. I can recover and there is nothing that God won't turn around in my life.

It is a fact that God created time and He can multiply it for me. I am not controlled by time. By God's grace, I control it!

It wasn't too late for Abraham or Sarah, Peter or Paul. It wasn't too late for the woman caught in adultery, and its NOT TOO LATE FOR ME.

I adjust my thinking, and accept that God ignores my excuses and inabilities - but He gives mercy and grace in my time of need. He is faithful even when I haven't been.

I think on His goodness and dwell on His kindness. God is no respecter of persons, therefore if He multiplied time back for Joshua and Hezekiah, He will do it for me!


23. It's just not working

People think "I'm trying, but I'm not really changing. My marriage is not working. Prayer is not working. My budget is not working. The Word is not working. Tithing isn't working."

When things don't go our way, we tend to THINK, that the good that we're doing is not accomplishing anything. The devil gets us THINKING that God's Word works for others but not us. When we believe that "It's not working," we adopt a mindset that blocks us from continuing to do the right thing. And that's when we lose our harvest.

You see, it's not that it's not working, but it's that we stop "working it", which is what stops our progress.

When we do the right thing, the devil loves to get us to think, that it didn't do any good, and nothing will change. When we forgive someone, the devil says, "that didn't do any good." When we give an offering, the devil says, "you won't get a harvest." When we pray, we hear the thought that says, "God didn't hear that; or He won't answer that."

When my kids were little, I would sometimes wonder, "Is praying over them every night working? Is disciplining them working? Are the kisses and hugs and long talks working?" But I kept doing it because I thought, "God's Word is true and IT WORKS." Today, my two grown, married children love God, love the people in their lives, and love each other, I realize IT WAS WORKING all the time. If I would have thought it wasn't working, I would have stopped acting on the Word. That thought would have defeated me.

Today we turn the tables on these thoughts.

A. Keep sowing the right seeds.
"Don't grow weary, in doing good, for in due season, you shall reap, if you do not faint." We need to believe that if we don't give up, we will get our harvest.

B. Understand that "growing weary", or "fainting"/giving up, begins in our minds.
Hebrews 12:3 says, "consider Him who has endured such hostility against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your mind." See, giving up starts in your head. As soon as we think that its not working, that's when our bodies respond to those thoughts and our life gives off negative energy, which defeats us. IN YOUR MIND, you have to start thinking, "IT IS WORKING!" And then, positive, life-filled energy is produced.

C. Believe that God is at work in you right now.
"He is all the while in work in you both to will and work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) If He is working in you, things are going to work.

D. Let this penetrate your thinking: THE WORD WORKS.
Jeremiah 1:12 says, "I am watching over My Word to perform it." Believe in the integrity of God's Word.

E. Believe: PRAYER WORKS.
Jesus said, "Whatsoever things you desire WHEN YOU PRAY, believe that you receive them, and you SHALL HAVE THEM." Mark 11:24.

F. Don.t let the immediate feeling or appearance trick you.
Things start working the moment you act on the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith and not by sight."

G. I love this verse in Ecclesiastes 3:11 which says, "He makes all things beautiful in His time." It's going to work out, if you trust and let His timing come to pass.

THINK IT & SAY IT

Things are working. I may not see them working right now, but God says they are.

I am sowing the right thoughts, therefore my life is changing. I am sowing the Word of God, and it will not return void.

I will not give up in my mind. I make up my mind to believe IT IS WORKING.

God is at work in me, and He is bringing His will to pass in my life, even now as I surrender my thoughts to Him. As I sow the Word of God in my heart and mind, God is watching over that Word, to bring it pass.

Whenever I have the thought that prayer doesn't work, I will replace that thought with Mark 11:24. I walk by faith - by believing what God says.

I will not allow the appearance of something trick me into thinking that God's Word is not working.

The Lord is making things beautiful in my life, no matter what things look like right now.
 

24. You just never know what the future holds 

Today, we are fasting from the thought that says: "You just never know what the future hold."

Thoughts that go with this: "You never know what's going to happen. You can't control what happens in your life. There's not much I can do about it."

Too many of us acquiesce our power and authority to do something about our situation, because we think it's all up to God or the future is already destined. And while it's true, that we can't control everything that happens in the world, we can control what happens in our lives.

Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap your character. Sow character, reap your destiny!

We have the power to create the future we desire.

Let's change our thinking. Let's replace the thought that "you never know what the future holds," with "I hold the future in my hands (based on the seeds I sow.)"

A. Believe what God said.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the thoughts I have for you - for good and not evil - to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE." God's future for us is good. Expect it.

B. Your life is a garden.
In Genesis 2:7 God put man in the garden. But in Luke 17:21 God put the garden IN MAN. Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." In Mark 4:13-20 Jesus said, the soil of the kingdom of God is in our hearts.

C. We determine our future by the seed we sow.
Galatians 6:7 says, "Don't be deceived. Whatever a man sows, is exactly what he will reap." I'm talking about sowing the SEED OF GOD'S WORD. The Word is the seed. Promises from God's Word contain the power to come to pass, when planted in the fertile soil of our heart.

D. You have the power and permission from God to grow whatever kind of life you want.
Proverbs 4:18 says, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the issues of life."

E. Realize you are in control of the things that can choke out your desired harvest.
Mark 4:17-20 says there are 3 things that can choke out the harvest of God's Word in your life: the desires for other things, the deceitfulness of riches, and worry (which we dealt with on day 5 of our FAST FROM WRONG THINKING.)

F. Desire God's promises in your life.
2 Corinthians 1:20 says, "All the promises of God are yes, in Him..." Sow the seed of God's promises in your life. The answer is yes!

G. Meditate on the power God has given you.
God has given you the Power to choose (Deut. 30:15); the Power of your seed (Galatians 6:7); the Power of your tongue (Proverbs 18:21); the Power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8, John 16:13)

THINK IT & SAY IT

I accept in my heart and mind that God has a good future in store for me. But he has given me the stewardship over the garden of my heart. I will watch what goes into my heart through my eyes, ears and mouth.

I determine my own future by the seeds I sow. The Word of God contains the seeds of God's promises, that God has given me permission and power to sow into my heart. The promises of God are "yes." They will come to pass, as I plant them in my heart, and guard my heart from worry, deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things.

I don't need to desire other things, since there are so many promises of God to feast on. I recognize and think on the power that God has given me. The power of choice. The power of my seed. The power of my tongue. And the power of the Holy Spirit.


25.  If I just pray hard enough...

Today we are fasting from a very subtle thought that will truly set you free: "If I just pray enough or live holy enough, I will get closer to God and enter into His presence." 

I want to bring your attention to the fact that some of the thoughts that we need to fast from and eliminate from our heads, SEEM LIKE RIGHT THOUGHTS. But they are subtle tricks and lies.

When the devil approached Adam and Eve, in Genesis 3, it says, 'he was subtle; more than any other creature.' It's these subtle thoughts that defeat us. They seem so godly and so right, but they are not right; because they produce a WORKS mentality and a LEGALISTIC approach to our relationship with God.

I don't want to create a theological debate, here. But I want to ask you a question: how much closer can God get than to LIVE INSIDE OF YOU?

* 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Do you not recognize that Christ Jesus is in you?"

* 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God?"

This is not a warning to be afraid. This is a promise. It is a fact when a person is born again. It is a picture of how there is no separation between us and God. Paul is saying in essence (and I am praying you will receive this with an open heart): "The reason your behavior has been sinful and negative, is because you have lacked the knowledge that HE LIVES IN YOU. When you realize that, it will change how you look at yourself, and it will then change how you live."

When we think we have to do more to get closer to Him, the focus gets put on us. But Hebrews 12:1 says to "Fix your eyes on Jesus." When you buy into this thought, you TRY SO HARD TO GET CLOSE TO GOD, and then get discouraged, until you give up or assume that that your relationship with God will always be: Distant. That affects your peace, joy, and of course your confidence in prayer.

This is what I call "an illusion of separation." The devil, and even religion has caused us to think God is afar off. "He's way up there, and we're way down here. And if we pray enough, fast enough, do enough, we can close the gap, and get Him to come closer." That's a lie. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

Ok gang. This is a thought that we must deal with-- NOW!

A. We don't earn closeness with God.
It is a gift. Hebrews 13:5 says "He will never leave you or forsake you."

B. YOU ARE ALREADY IN HIS PRESENCE BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
Hebrews 10:19 says, "we enter into the Holy place by the blood of Jesus."

C. There is no separation between you and God.
When you are born again, you are united with Him, and one with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, "The one who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him." In Acts 17:28, he says, "In Him we live and move and have our being." This is the reality that the early Christians had and lived by. There is no separation. (Yes, sin separated us from God, but Jesus removed sin, and re-connected us to God. There is no separation now.)

D. Stop thinking, "He's there, and I'm here."
I don't have to do something to get God into my situation. He is already in it, because I'm in it. "He is at work IN me, to bring about His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

E. I will fear no evil.
Psalm 23:4 says, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for THOU ART WITH ME!"

F. Reject the lie that He is out there somewhere.
Reject the lie that your answer or blessing is "out there" somewhere. Mark 4:20 says, "he who hears the Word and accepts it, will bear fruit." You have to accept this truth. There is no separation.
THINK IT & SAY IT:

I am not separated from God, anymore. I don.t have to earn closeness with Him. It is a gift. He will never leave me or forsake me.

I am IN HIS PRESENCE and HE IS IN ME. In Him, I live and move and have my being. I live in this reality.

I stop thinking that "He is there, and I am here." He is in my life and my situation right now. No matter what I walk through, I am not afraid.for God is with me.

I reject the lie that He is out there somewhere. I accept that there is no separation between God and me. Romans 8:38-39 says, "Nothing can separate me from the love of God!"

God The Father

God The Father
How much do you really know?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Most people have certain concepts of God. Many are not Biblical. Too often people start with themselves - their own feelings, observations, attitudes, experiences - and from there build a personal view of God. The result is a distortion, a caricature.

God does answer prayer. He does work in our lives. He does make himself real to us in our daily experiences. But we must avoid the common mistake of forming our concept of God out of the raw material of our own experiences.

If  we are to know the character and attributes of God, we must begin Not with ourselves and our experiences but with God's own revelation of himself. God has revealed himself in His creation. He revealed himself personally in Jesus Christ. And His self-revelation to us is completely and specifically defined in Scripture. God is exactly what He has revealed himself in the Bible to be.

God desires to be active in our lives. He wants to be what He really is -God of the Bible - in our daily personal experience. If we believe, He will do what He said He will do. We can have what He said we can have. But for this to happen, we must base our faith on who God is rather than on what happens.

Real faith is not the result of answers to prayer. Answers to prayer are the result of real faith.

True, a miracle shows the power and character of God and should lead people to believe. But the believing should not be focused just on the miracle but on God himself whose attributes are demonstrated in the miracle.

The anchor-point of true faith is always the unchanging Word and character of the eternal God. In other words, the bedrock of unshakable faith is not what God does, but who He is. Once this is settled, we can be certain that in everything He does and allows to be done, God is always acting according to His perfect character.

And His perfect moral character is summed up in 1 John 4:16: "God is love."

So even when we cannot understand what God is doing or allowing to be done, our faith remains firmly anchored to the unchanging love of the unchanging God. We must never suppose, just because Jesus said, "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14), that we can force God to our terms. If God always fulfilled His promises according to our liking, we would be spoiled. We would use the power of Jesus' name to make everything go our way. There would be no testing, no discipline, no growth. But God is sovereign. He reserves the right to fulfill His promises wisely; that is, in a way that is in perfect harmony with His design for His highest glory and our greatest good.

God is our Heavenly Father. He loves us and wants to draw us into a close relationship with himself. He disciplines us so that we may be "partakers of his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). His purpose is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and this has priority over every temporal consideration. He knows what it will take to accomplish this in our lives, and the prize is well worth the price.

God is loving, holy, just, merciful, gracious, wise, faithful, and patient. So He has revealed himself, and so He wants us to know Him.

The Bible urges us to thank God for all His blessings. We should never become tired of testifying to what Christ has done for us. What's more, He desires to give us far more than we have yet received. Still, our deepest love and devotion to our Lord must flow not from the refreshing springs of what He does, but from the fathomless depths of who He is.


Locking in with God


God does as God is. If we know who God is, we will know what He does. God is love, and that infinite love is directing His power to accomplish the greatest good.

Jesus, the Son of God, has an intimate relationship with His Father. He knew who the Father was, what He said, and what He was doing. He spoke only what He heard from the Father and did only what He saw the Father do.
 
He said, "The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19, NIV).

Early in Jesus' ministry He read to those assembled in the synagogue at Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then He announced, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:18,19,21).

Because He knew what the Father was doing, Jesus knew what He was anointed to do. And He did it. Jesus synchronized His words and actions with the Father's. He showed His disciples - and us - what God is doing. They saw it and declared it to the people: "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him" (Acts 2:22).

Jesus not only demonstrated to His disciples what God was doing; He also informed them they were to follow His example.

This would happen because He was going to the Father and would send the Holy Spirit. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12). Jesus sent His disciples out for hands on experience with these instructions: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons" (Matthew 10:8).

After the Day of Pentecost, the disciples followed the Lord's example: "The disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it"
(Mark 16:20).

The Book of Acts is the spectacular record of what happens when Spirit-filled believers lock into the heart and mind of God, synchronize their actions with His, and work in concert with Him in the power of His Holy Spirit.

Stephen and Philip were Spirit-anointed believers.

"Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people" (Acts 6:8).

"When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said" (Acts 8:6).

Paul and his team in Lystra saw a lame man leap and walk at Paul's command.  (See Acts 14:8-10.) Demons fled at the sight of Paul's handkerchiefs and aprons. (See Acts 19:11,12.)

Because God is who He is, He is still doing what He does. God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). This partnership of power should send us to our knees in humble, earnest prayer.

If  we are to work together with God, we must live close to Him. He is already moving by His Spirit, and He is looking for those who will move with Him.

Jephthah- A Rash Vow

~ Jephthah & Jephthah Daughter ~

“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.”* (Judges 11:1-3)

God here acquaints us with the unfair pressures that shaped Jephthah’s life. It wasn’t Jephthah’s fault that his father sinned and put him in such a predicament. Nor was it fair for the other sons of Jephthah’s father to treat him in such a way as to make him feel obligated to leave the country, especially since he seems to have achieved some merit in his life: “Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour.” It is a further measure of just how respected he was for his valour that (in spite of the thrusting of him out of the home) when the Israelites were in trouble with the Ammonites, they went to him for assistance (see vs. 4-11).

And so this man, Jephthah, responded to a life-or-death crisis. He would either prevail against the children of Ammon or they would prevail against him and his people. The trial would either make him or break him. To fail would be utterly disastrous; to succeed would mean everything.

Such pressure as this brings out a great deal of what we have. And we are given a picture of how Jephthah thought and how spiritually prepared he was for the crisis of his life by the conversation between Jephthah and the king of the Ammonites.

In verse 12, Jephthah asked the king of the Ammonites, “What is wrong? Why do you want to fight us?”

This king replies to Jephthah, “Israel took away our lands [300 years ago]. Now restore them” (vs. 13).

Jephthah then makes a long reply to the Ammonites in verses 14-27. Basically he says that the lands were not taken because Israel just wanted them. The Israelites merely wanted passage through the lands of Ammon (and Moab) to get to Canaan. But these countries would not give that passage and attacked Israel. They were defeated and their lands taken, but not because of Israelite aggression. Furthermore, they have had 300 years to recover their land and had not done so. Jephthah concludes, “Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” (Judges 11:27)

This argument reveals a great deal of knowledge about God and His dealings in the past with the Israelites and their neighbors. It is accurate knowledge. God had indeed done those things, and it had happened as Jephthah related it. What is missing is a current relationship with God, characterized by faith and confidence in Him. Jephthah knows about God, and his knowledge about God is correct, but Jephthah doesn’t know God! Think of this! He is facing the greatest crisis of his life, and he doesn’t know God! He only knows about Him.

All of this comes out in the vow that Jephthah made. “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”* (Judges 11:30-31)

A man that knew God and had faith in Him would not feel the necessity of making the vow that Jephthah made. He would understand that God did not want or take pleasure in such an extreme commitment. Jephthah misunderstood the character and nature of God. He thought within himself that God was of a nature to be moved to help by the extremity and severity of his sacrifice, and he still thought this (as did his daughter), even when the full extent of that rash vow became apparent. The awful tragedy of the whole matter is that God was not as Jephthah understood Him. God was all too willing to help and did help them, but God took no pleasure in Jephthah’s vow. As the Lord said at a later time to the Israelites, “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind.” (Jeremiah 19:5)

Now God could have delivered Jephthah from the consequences of his rash vow, just as God delivered the Israelites from the Ammonites. God could have fixed it so that Jephthah’s daughter, his only child (Judges 11:34), did not come out of the house, but God let it be. God let Himself be misunderstood. God let the matter proceed as it did. There were reasons why Jephthah had not gotten to know God as God really is, and this story stands as a warning to all of mankind of what we can get into if our heart is not taught of God. If we only know about God, rather than knowing Him as He is.

Please note that Jephthah still didn’t know God even after his ignorance bore terrible fruit. His daughter didn’t either. She felt the “necessity” of her father keeping his vow (Judges 11:36). At terrible cost, the vow was kept, and still they knew not that God took no pleasure in it.

There are many Jephthahs today who imagine that God requires or delights in such and such a thing. Many of these imaginations proceed from a profound misunderstanding and misinterpretation of what God is and what He has done in the past.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.”* (Matthew 23:25)

It is clear that this rash vow of Jephthah was excess. Excess is defined as “The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that which exceeds what is usual or proper; immoderateness; superfluity; superabundance; extravagance.” Think of what it means to be guilty of excess in the eyes of God! A lack of Holy-Ghost-inspired temperance. The strain of people trying to please their idea of what God is without being taught of Him how to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”* (Ephesians 5:18) We are quite willing to say that there is no excessiveness in the requirements and dealings of the Spirit of God. Verily, He requires only reasonable service (Romans 12:1), as He defines reasonable. Now folks who are of a mindset to think that the Lord doesn’t care, that He is rather indifferent to much of how we live or do; they also do not have a rightful picture of what God is like, either. Their problem is not the strain of making rash vows; they are more inclined to go to excess in the opposite direction and conclude that God doesn’t really require much of anything. And so we see that if we are not led by the Spirit of God, we will be led by something, and that something will be of a tendency to excess in one direction or the other.

One end of the human reaction scale is compromise and the other end is fanaticism. We submit to your thinking that the right path is not on the human reaction scale at all. Only the Divine Mind knows how we should walk and do (Jeremiah 10:23), and He wants us to know Him and His way for us. “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”* (Jeremiah 9:24) It is not in being a “moderate” as we define what moderation is. It is being taught of God in our heart and the fruits that follow of really knowing Him. “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”* (John 6:45)


~sigh~ But; I digress. Let's continue on with the story and what we can learn from it.


The story of Jephthah and the untaught hearts of the children of Israel does not end with the eleventh chapter of Judges. It continues into the twelfth. Even the deliverance that God had given the Israelites from the enemy without (the Ammonites) did not unite them. There arose internal dissension over who got left out of the victory, etc., and soon Israelite was shedding the blood of Israelite. When God does not keep the house, even when He in mercy gives relief and help for certain needs, things still do not go well overall, for human effort is in charge. When we do not understand God or His ways correctly, it is not enough to recognize that an individual is really, truly saved (an Israelite). Human wisdom will impose artificial barriers and means of identifying which camp you are in. Are you an Ephraimite? “Say now Shibboleth.”* (Judges 12:6) And if you can’t say it just right (by their definition), they will slay you, spiritually speaking.

This is the same thing we read about in Revelation 13:17, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” In Jephthah’s time, you were rejected and slain if you couldn’t say “Shibboleth.” In the Revelation, you are rejected and cannot buy or sell if you do not have the “correct” number or name.

The professed Christian world is divided into a multitude of lands, all professing to be Israel. Many people who sing ...

“We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one,
While love entwines about each heart in which God’s will is done”

... have not the faintest idea of a fellowship really based on just being saved. They recognize what they think is saved… plus something. This plus something can be as simple as being saved plus “attending our services.” The disciples applied an additional test of fellowship beyond salvation when they forbid the man casting out devils in the name of Jesus to continue “because he followeth not with us.”* (Luke 9:49-50) Jesus reproved them for forbidding him. They misunderstood the character and nature of God. We see then that a lack of understanding God leads to more of a lack of understanding of God. It just gets off further and further. The rash vow of Jephthah was grievous, but the civil war was infinitely more so.

God wants to be properly understood. He is seeking for true worshipers who want to know, yea, who will not be satisfied with anything else than to really know, what He is really like (John 4:23-24). Oh, He is seeking for those who want to know Him as He is! There are so many diligent, careful, false worshipers who hold in reverence “another Jesus!”* (2 Corinthians 11:4)

If we misunderstand God’s motives and His character, we are at enormous disadvantage in pleading His promises or properly interpreting what He does or does not do for us. A son that properly understands the character and love of his father expects good things, nor is he disappointed. “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”* (Luke 11:11-13) Do you see from this scripture that God wants to bless you? Do you understand that He is on the giving hand, a God that is near “and not a God afar off?”* (Jeremiah 23:23) To properly understand God is to really admire and adore Him. It will stir firm confidence (faith), complete trust, and rest.

“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”* (Proverbs 3:24)

“God loves to be longed for, He loves to be sought,
For He sought us Himself with such longing and love:
He died for desire of us, marvellous thought!
And He yearns for us now to be with Him above.”

God’s standards are not peculiarity for the sake of being peculiar. He does not delight in us being strange to worldly minds around us just to be strange. It is strange and peculiar to really live holy. It is strange and peculiar not to hold grudges and forgive others their trespasses. It is very strange to be humble and meek, to be little in our own eyes. It is completely foreign to natural human nature to live a surrendered, consecrated life without any ambition other than to please God and be accepted of Him. And God takes pleasure in such a dedicated, plain, careful life. He knows when it begins to become an end in itself, too. He knows when it is too loose and gives undue liberty to the flesh, and He knows when it is strained, stretched, and characterized by rash vows. God is not a God who delights in human stretching and straining. God is not pleased by fanaticism. God is not pleased by compromise.

God knows when our idea of His salvation is characterized by too much leaning to our own understanding—a reasoned salvation of human effort mostly, rather than being filled with the Spirit. There is vastly more to God than intellectualism. God is able to bring you into His pavilion until your soul is filled with a sense of His greatness and your appropriate and rightful (humble) relationship to His bigness. He not only saves us from sin; He can save us from ourselves and the inappropriate use of our capacity. It does not have to go with us as it did with Jephthah. Jephthah did not have to do as he did. He could have settled on this reality: “God has delivered Israel all down through the years. I’ll just trust Him to deliver us again.” How infinitely better this would have been than the path of the rash vow!

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. ~ Judges 11:29

We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease and so on. These are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming a great warrior. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

Jephthah's Rash Vow (Judges 11:21-40)

There are some stories in Scripture that present us with challenging questions, often because they come from a world and a culture far removed from our own, and because we have certain ideas about Scripture that prevent us from hearing the stories in that context. One of those Old Testament stories is the story of Jephthah and a foolish vow he made that cost his young daughter's life (Jud.11:36-40).  With our modern sensibilities, we recoil from the story.  Why did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter?  Since God would never receive a human sacrifice, does that mean that if we say stupid things we should do them even if it is against what we understand about God?

In this case, an unfamiliarity with the nature of Scripture and how the Israelites used narrative to communicate theology causes us problems in hearing this story. There are many things in Scripture that recount past events that are not meant to be presented as positive or as models for our actions today. The book of Judges is an especially good example of that.

Recall, in the book of Judges (21:25): "all the people did what was right in their own eyes."

Throughout Judges, most of the leaders (called a shophet, a "judge" or tribal military chieftain) that emerge are seriously flawed. They were only able to accomplish anything because God worked in spite of their failures.

Jephtah’s Daughter

Names in the Bible often say something about the person, but in this case the young woman in the story is nameless. People without a name seem less real, so leaving the girl without a name minimized the horror of Jephthah's act, and made him more acceptable as a hero of Israel. 

Jephthah means ‘he opens’; the name may refer to Jephthah’s fatal habit of speaking without thinking  -  he opened his mouth to make the vow when it would have been better if he had remained silent.

The vow of Jephtah,  Judges 11:1-11, 29-33.

In return for victory in battle, Jephtah vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw on his return home. In the early part of Israelite history, the leader of the clan had extraordinary powers, and under certain circumstances he had the power of life or death over members of his clan. 

The consequences of the vow,  Judges 11:34-40.

Jephtah won the battle and returned home. As he approached his house, his beloved only daughter ran out to meet him, which meant he had to sacrifice her to fulfill his promise. 

When she was told about the promise, she courageously accepted the fact that she must die. For two months before her death she went up into the mountains with her companions, where she lamented that she would never know married love, and never hold her children in her arms. 


When Jephtah returned victorious from the battle, he was greeted by women singers who went out to welcome him. They were led by his daughter. 

‘Then Jephtah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing.’

This was a normal custom of the time, and Jephtah should have foreseen it. Women normally went out to greet returning military heroes with songs and poems. We know of this from other examples, including Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and the women who praised King David (1 Samuel 18:6). 

When Jephtah saw his daughter and realized what he had done, he was distraught with grief, but immediately ‘blamed the victim’, reproaching his daughter for being the one whom he saw first, rather than blaming himself for the vow he had made. 

‘She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow”.

When Jephtah’s daughter heard of her father’s vow, she responded with dignity and restrained anger. She accepted her fate, but on her own terms. 

'She said to him “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites”.’

Modern writers object to the daughter’s passive acceptance of her death, wishing she had objected to her father’s vow.

But in the context of the times Jephtah had to sacrifice her, and she had to accept her fate. Her father made a promise on behalf of his people and he believed that God had accepted the promise, giving him victory in return. Now the promise had to be honored despite the terrible cost, and the daughter knew this and accepted it. 

But here's a thought: is it possible she knew in advance about her father's vow, and deliberately come out of the house first, thus bringing the vow onto herself rather than on someone whom her father considered expendable, for example a servant? Could the girl have taken the place intended for someone else? We'll never really know. At least not on this earthly plain.

The daughter’s real reaction to her fate is shown by what she did, not what she said. ‘And she said to her father “Let this thing be done for me: grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I”.’ 

She preferred to spend the last days of her life with her friends. With them, she mourned the fact that she would never achieve the goal of all Jewish women: to hold her child in her arms. (Judges 11:37-40). 

The exact method of her death is not known. If she was a burnt offering, she would have been first killed with a knife, and then her body burnt.      
 
An annual festival for young women commemorated the death of Jephtah’s daughter – ‘for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephtah the Gileadite’.

We are supposed to recoil from the monstrosity of Jephthah’s actions. The later community of Israel who included this story in the biblical traditions knew how wrong child sacrifice was, so there would be no mistaking this for a model of right behavior. It would be another example of what happens when God’s people become confused in their thinking about who is really God and how God works in the world. This becomes another lesson for Israel that God will not be manipulated by magical incantations or bargains that we strike with him on our own terms.

That is precisely what Jephthah tried to do in making his vow to sacrifice the first thing that met him on his return home, if only God would help him win a battle. God did not need that bargain to aid Jephthah. Jephthah was yet another tragic figure in Judges who had not yet learned enough about God to know that God does not respond to magic or bargains, which lay at the heart of Ba’al worship. Jephthah’s battle against the Ammonites was not won because of his vow, but because of God’s presence (11:32). His lack of faith in God, and understanding of who God is, cost him his daughter.

The biblical traditions recall that as a great tragedy (11:39-40): 
"So there arose an Israelite custom that for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite".

In closing; one of the greatest lessons that I have learned from this story written in Judges is that God does not bargain!

As I searched myself I realized that I am guilty of checking myself to make sure that I am completely "good" with God before I approach the Lord with my prayer requests. Are my tithes up to date?, do I have aught against anyone?, does anyone have aught against me that I need to apologize for? am I behind in my Bible reading? and so on.

All of these things are good and the right thing to do but when we only really do them so that God will honor our prayer request(s) then any way that you look at it; that's bargaining. And it isn't going to work out any better for us than it did for Jephthah.

It's God's good pleasure to give us the desires of our hearts and He will - if they line up with His plan for our lives. If it doesn't then He just isn't going to do it. As I type this I am reminded of the Scripture that says something to the effect of what Father who's child ask him for a piece of bread would then give him a snake. God isn't going to give us something that ultimately does us harm in some way.

I Praise God for the Scripture! Scriptures that ever guides us along this journey through life. Don't you?!

Breaking Free Part VIII. Conclusion

Negative Thinking Part VIII.

Breaking Free Conclusion


Thus we have come to the conclusion of our Study- Part 8- on breaking the yokes of negative thinking. Thoughts that the Enemy has had us bound up in for years.

By now you should be feeling quite liberated! But if you don't then simply continue to use this Study over and over until you do feel like the Enemy no longer has a stronghold on your life. It's all about Freedom in Christ; not bondage to the wiles of the devil. Amen?!

* Again, we are not Fasting from food or drink during each 24 hour period but from having these thoughts. Whenever we do have any of these thoughts at any point from now until Kingdom Come we will have God's Word to speak against them!

1. Our words don't have that much power.
    Part I. 
As we come close to the end of this study on fasting from wrong thinking, I encourage you to use these thoughts as a resource you can turn to ANYTIME the negative thought comes back. Develop the habit of stopping wrong thinking continually, and you will see amazing results. 

Today, we're fasting from the mentality that "our words don't have that much power."  We often think "what I SAY doesn't really matter" or "speaking God's Word doesn't work for me."

These mindsets have defeated us far too long. Let's change this today!

1. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21)

2. True satisfaction and happiness come from speaking fruitful words. (Proverbs 18:20)

3. "Believing and speaking" are God's way of getting things done. We're saved by believing, and confessing Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10). If the greatest gift of salvation is received in this way, everything else should follow suit.

4. Everything God created came from WORDS. (Genesis 1:1-31) "And God SAID, "Let there be light. And light was."
  
5. We're made in His image.  SPEAK HIS WORDS. Paul said, "It is written, `I believed, therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith WE ALSO believe and therefore SPEAK." (2 Corinthians 4:13 )

6. Store up God's Word in your heart, and power will come forth. (Luke 6:45)

7. It doesn't work unless we speak according to His will. (1 John 5:14) BUT HIS WILL IS CLEARLY WRITTEN—His Will is His Word. You can't say, "I have 7 Mercedes. One for each day of the week, in Jesus' Name".  There is no scripture to support speaking that. But you can declare, "God meets ALL my needs, according to Philippians 4:19.  And right now I need a car—therefore I have the car I need to get where I need to go."

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I give up the thought that my words don't matter. My words have power. They bring me life and satisfaction. I will employ God's method of getting things done, by believing and speaking His Word. 

I'm made in His image, and therefore my Words bring things to pass. I believe, therefore I speak, and good comes forth, in Jesus' Name.

2. Our words don't have that much power.
    Part II


Today, I want us to continue to fast from the mistaken belief that our words don't have power. Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue?Proverbs 18:21. James 3:4-5 says that our words steer and set the course of our lives.

1. Believe what Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "Whoever shall say to this mountain, `be removed and cast into the sea', and does not doubt, but believes that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he says."  Those who understand the power of the spoken Word shall have what they say.

2. Believe the things you say WILL come to pass. Another way that "faith energy" is created is by believing that when you say something, it has the power to come to pass. 

3. It's natural and supernatural. We use words to CREATE a romantic mood. We use words to create sales in business.
 
4. Words are seeds. They are designed to grow when planted, whether they are bad or good. Mark 4:14 says, "The sower sows the Word."  Pay careful attention to the things you say, because they have the power to come to pass.  SPEAK THE WORD ONLY (Matthew 8:8).

5. Realize the Holy Spirit is waiting on us to speak God's Word. Genesis 1:2-3 says, "...and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light. And there was light."  Notice, the Holy Spirit was hovering, brooding, waiting to give birth to something.  But nothing happened until God SPOKE.  The Holy Spirit is hovering, waiting in our lives.  When we speak God's Word, the same Holy Spirit uses those words to bring those things to pass.

6. Acts 10:44-45 says, "While Peter was speaking the Word, the Holy Spirit fell on those who were listening." Notice, it was the Word that gave the Holy Spirit something to work with.

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I believe that my words set the course of my life.  I believe the things which I say will come to pass. I use my words as seeds to plant God's will in my life.  As I speak God's Word, I give the Holy Spirit room to work in my life and my situations, in Jesus' Name.

3. I will never be really successful.
 
Today we're fasting from the thought: "I will never be really successful." Deep in our minds lies a subtle, if not obvious, tolerance of mediocrity and 'just getting by.' God has so much more for us! Let's walk in it.

1. Abundant success is truly God's will for your life. Psalm 35:27 says, "God DELIGHTS (takes pleasure) in the prosperity/success of His servants."

2. Expect success in EVERY area of life.  Deuteronomy 28:8 says, "The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you."

3. You have a covenant with God! Deuteronomy 29:9 says, "So keep the words of this covenant to do them that you may prosper in all that you do."

4. God's Word contains the seeds of true success.  Joshua 1:8 says, "Never stop reciting these words, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

5. Success comes from God's presence. Genesis 39:2 says, "For the Lord was WITH Joseph, so he became a successful man." Meditate on the fact that GOD IS WITH YOU. 1 Chronicles 22:11 says, "Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful."

THINK IT & SAY IT:

God takes pleasure in my abundant success and prosperity in life.  He commands the blessing in everything I put my hand to.  I have a covenant with God and therefore I trust that I will prosper in all that I do.

I will never stop believing and speaking the Word of God which brings true success. God's presence in my life guarantees great success in my life today and every day, in Jesus' Name.

4.  Eliminate excuse-making mentalities


Today we are going to eliminate excuse-making mentalities. Sometimes people think, "If people wouldn't have treated me like that, I would be successful" or "if my problem was anything other than this, I could handle it." You probably know countless other thoughts that are similar. 

Let's fast from making excuses:

1. Refuse to excuse mediocrity. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 says "...Excel still more..."  Don't give in to the temptation to settle for where you're at. Wherever you're at in life, right now—thank God and press forward for more of what God has for you.

2. Refuse to excuse sickness. Don't tolerate it; saying it runs in your family or it's a cross to bear; or everyone gets sick.  He sent His Word and healed us—Psalm 107:20. With His stripes, we are healed—1 Peter 2:24.

3. Refuse to excuse lack and failure in your life; saying that you were born on the wrong side of the tracks or you're limited by your upbringing.  You may have been born on the wrong side of the tracks, but you're not bound to stay there.  Cross the tracks NOW. (Romans 8:37)

4. Refuse to excuse unforgiveness--saying, you just don't know what they did to me--God knows what WE did to HIM and He still forgives.

5. Refuse to excuse lack of support. In John 5:7 the lame man said, "I have no man to help me." He used that as an excuse to remain in his condition.  Even if everyone lets us down, God will support us. (Psalm 27:10)

6. Refuse to excuse sin, saying, "I just can't overcome it...."  YOU CAN do all things through Christ which strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)  You have been given power over the enemy.  1 Corinthians 15:34 says,  "Awake to righteousness and you'll stop sinning."   When you realize you ARE the righteousness of God--made right with Him, BY Him, you experience a power that delivers you from having to sin.

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I eliminate excuse-making from my thoughts and words.  I will no longer excuse or justify mediocrity in my life; I will not excuse sickness.  I am healed by Jesus' stripes.

I will not excuse failure, as God declares I am more than a conqueror.  I am forgiven and I will not withhold unforgiveness from others. God takes up my cause and is my greatest support.  I am free from having to sin, through the gift of righteousness, in Jesus' Name.

5. There is so much wrong in my life how can I ever expect anything good to come my way?


Today we're fasting from the thought: "There is so much wrong in my life ..."

1. Believe! God honors faith, even when we have fallen or failed. Galatians 3:9 says, "We are blessed with Abraham the believer." Blessed are those who believe. Good comes to those who believe.
 
2. Every good gift comes from the Father! (James 1:17) God is your Father. He will take care of you because you are His beloved!  (Mark 1:11)
 
3. Goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life! (Psalm 23:6)  ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, include the days that you have had so much wrong in your life.
 
4. Know that you're forgiven and redeemed from the curse.  (Galatians 3:13)  You're not blessed because of how much wrong is in your life; but because Jesus took the curse upon Himself and gave us the blessing.  There was much wrong in Abraham's life; but he believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
 
5. God blesses us because of His love for us. (Deut. 7:7-8) The Lord did not set His love upon you because of you, but because He loved you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers.
 
6. Stop condemning yourself. God's promises are greater than our mistakes. (1 John 3:20-21)

THINK IT & SAY IT:

Even though there is wrong in my life, God is greater than my heart and greater than my mistakes.  His blood cleanses me and brings me into His blessing. I'm blessed with Abraham the believer.
I'm redeemed from the curse of negativity and failure.  Goodness and mercy will follow me, because the Lord is my shepherd. I expect to receive every good and perfect gift from my heavenly Father, in Jesus' Name.

6. It's just so hard to trust God.


As we conclude this phase of our FAST FROM WRONG THINKING, I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of your discovery that you can have a life of Freedom in Christ Jesus and no longer have to be bound to the lies of the Enemy! 

Today we're fasting from the thought that "It's just so hard to trust God." "God's promises don't always work."  So often, trusting someone is the hardest thing to do.  But why do we withhold our trust from others? Because often, they have developed a track record that cannot be relied upon. God on the other hand, has a much better track record.  He has never broken His promises!

Let's fast from this thinking that it's hard to trust God:

1. The foundation for trusting someone is a proven track record of integrity. If they have kept their word as a pattern in their life, you can trust them to do it again.  This confidence produces trust.
 
2. Look at the facts: 1 Kings 8:56 says, "...not one word has failed of all His good promise."  God has NEVER broken His promise.  He can be trusted!
 
3. Ponder this amazing statistic: There are over 1000 prophecies in the Bible—promises that God made before they happened. The chances of merely 17 of these coming to pass is ONE out of 450 billion x 1 billion x 1 trillion! Yet, not one of these 1000 promised have failed.
 
4. It is impossible for God to lie!  (Hebrews 6:19)  If God were to lie or break His promise, He would become subject to the devil (the father of lies—John 8:44), and forfeit His throne.  That's something He will NEVER do.

5. All His promises are available to you today!  2 Corinthians 1:21says, "For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES! And with us is the `Amen' (SO BE IT!)." Pray His promises. Receive, by faith, His promises. Expect His promises to come to pass in your life.

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I trust the Lord with all my heart, because He has never broken His promise.  Not one of His words has failed. It is impossible for Him to lie. Whatever God has promised in His Word, His answer is YES to me because I am in Christ.  I stand on His promises, one by one, and declare "Amen"--"So be it!" in Jesus' Name!