Grace, Salvation, and Self-control

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God’s Promise – His grace offers salvation to all people

Let’s walk on the knowledge that, given the opportunity, God will direct our steps. What a relief for those of us who sometimes wander around in confusion set forth at the pronouncement of the day, forgetting that “this is the day the Lord has made” and instead wallow in the outcomes of the unknown.

Through the grace of God we have received salvation and in it, direction for our lives. We should awake, thank the Lord for awakening us into a new day, put on our Armor and ask for his direction through the common landmines presented throughout the day. This is not to imply that we should expect the worse. It is our statement of faith to know that our Lord shields us, carries us, and directs our paths to avoid what may come before us. Through grace, we can make the right decisions before we act.

To accomplish this, we cannot act prematurely first consult with the Holy Spirit that has taken residence in us. He will confirm whether our decision is in alignment with the Word.

Sometimes the Spirit will tell us to say ’NO,’ this is not the path, recalculate and offer alternative avenues in the group session, or the best path is not linear, a-b-c…z, but rather a-c-q-z (a PERT path). He helps guide our decision-making about all aspects of our life.

He has taught us not to anger, especially if when a car cuts us off on the freeway, or someone pushes ahead of us on the trolley/subway, or your coworker, classmate, brother, sister, friend, or associate says something hurting in the heat of the moment.

This is not a prosperity concept, life is not all rainbows. God protects us and fights our battles. But, (this is a big but) He also told us that we will suffer travails, challenges, loss and hurt. We will experience good times and bad. We will question where God is in those moments. He is saying, stand fast, wait for his quiet voice to lead each of us, stay in control during the heated moments, do not doubt, put all of your cares in his hands and know that He is God. The Holy Spirit will lead us, and we will rest in his peace.

When we face these times, we must rely on his promises and call them out to him reminding him that we are in relationship with him and rely on his Word. We must announce to the evil of the day, the wickedness brought on by Satan’s demons or our own poor judgment, ‘If God is with me, who can be against me?’ If he is with us, we know we can withstand the evil of the day, the depression of the unknowing, and the uncertainty of life. All he asks is that we put away our worldly passions and live a self-controlled life.

 

 

Images – Google Images

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The Ugly Truth, Lies, and Exposure

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God’s Promise – I am the Truth

The ugly truth is being exposed every day, and the quick response from corporate owners is, we were there for you until we weren’t, we’ve made mistakes, and the consequence is that you no longer trust us. We want to earn your trust back.

Can we earn truth, or is it something given with the hope that it will be fulfilled? Our society is caught in a truth debacle. This is not a new phenomenon.  The difference now is that we are in a principality war that has been waged in cyberspace. The definitive nature of truth has become nothing more than exposing of what is deemed right and expedient to meet carnal (worldly) needs.

The arrival of the twenty-first century ushered us into a technology-based reality. The onset of fake news exposes the question of ‘truth.’ Is truth determined by the conveyor or the recipient of what has been shared? There are so many factors in determining the truth. But these factors only affect this plane, Satan’s home. Absolute truth is only available to followers of Christ. Those of us that have received Christ as our Lord and Savior, know that truth is revealed throughout the Bible. Truth is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It begins with God who is the Word, and the Word which is (all) truth.

The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. John 1:1 NLV

My followers do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Make them holy for Yourself by the truth. Your Word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world also. 19 I set Myself apart to be holy for them. Then they may be made holy by the truth. John 17:16-19 NLV

Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James 1:18 NKJV

He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:18 ESV

God is the Word, the Word is truth, and he created us to share the truth. Why you may ask? God created us to replicate Him on earth and to share the truth. The Armor of God speaks to wearing the belt of truth as part of our daily armor to protect ourselves from false truth known today as fake news, to expose the fake truth and to share the Word which is (all) truth, also known as the ‘Good News.’

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Ephesians 6:14 KJV

Stand then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. Ephesians 6:14 ESV

Earlier posts focused on the fact that as Christians we cannot be careless about who we are. We cannot allow carnal truths affect what we know to be the real truth, and we cannot become fearful of chaos created by fake news. We are to stand fast, not waver, and rest in the Word.

We have been commanded to reflect the qualities of Christ, to choose to emulate Him, allow his righteousness to flow through us and share the truth by exposing the (fake) carnal truth. We must share that God is the truth.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Chaos is of Satan, the truth is of God. Our salvation is through the acceptance of Christ which not only sets us free but sets us apart from the carnal lies and deceit of man.

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:15-18

And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they also do the rest of the Scriptures. You, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.2 Peter 3:15-18 NKJV

Apologies are not a form of repentance. The world apologizes, makes visual changes and continues down its path of deception. Christians understand God’s truth and repent for committing sin. Christians seek redemption and renewal.

Do not be trapped in the lies perpetrated by the world. Do not be led away with the error of the wicked. Know our Lord is truth, and whether we suffer the world’s attacks here on earth, we are living our lives to hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness.” Matthew 25: 23

 

 

Images – Free Google Images

Scriptures – BibleGateway.com

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, lisasdailyinspirations.wordpress.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.

 

 

Renewable Spirit

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God’s Promise – I will renew your spirit day by day.

What a blessing, the inward man is renewed daily. Our lives are temporal, but our spirit is eternal. Despite what lies before us, the internal hidden man of the heart, the new man is in a prosperous condition; our souls are in good health; the work of God is comfortably carried on in us; we have sweet and repeated experiences of the love of God; we are growing in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ; and, like the palm tree, the more weight is hung upon it, the more it thrives; and, like the children of Israel in Egypt, the more they were afflicted the more they grew.

Image – YouVersion, Bible.com

Resource – John Gill Bible Exposition, paraphrased, Biblestudytool.com

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, lisasdailyinspirations.wordpress.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.

God’s Compassion Brings Freedom

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God’s Promise – I will give you life

God has compassion for us. We generally have compassion for others, yet are unable to forgive ourselves for our trespasses. If you’ve been forgiven by God, then it’s time to move forward and follow the path God designed for each of us.

You will make known the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11

I challenge you to forgive yourself and let go. Too many of us are constricted by our past transgressions, are stuck in the Muck and the Mire* of life and not compassionate towards ourselves.

God gave us life.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Romans 8:2

We have been purified, set free, but remain corralled by our carnal life, fearing what is outside the fence. We suffer from self-imposed imprisonment.

We fear the future because of our past, but

 God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

God gave us life and wants our life to be full. God gives us hope for our future. God washed away your sins. Take the first step of freedom from your sins and into life today.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10


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Images – Google Images; YouVersion, Bible.com

Scripture References – Biblegateway.com

* Related Post – Living Through the Muck and Mire of Life, February 18, 2018

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God’s Promise – I Will Lead You

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God’s Promise – I will teach you and lead you along the path I have designed for you.

Take time each day and pray, holding a conversation with the Holy Spirit in you. Incline your ears to hear His quiet voice. It’s a voice we should learn intimately.

Images – YouVersion, Bible.com; Google Images

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Broken? The Lord Is With You

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God’s Promises – I am with you in your brokenness. I am with you when your spirit feels crushed.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm‬ ‭34:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This morning my Pastor reiterated that the crucifixion of Christ was God’s demonstration that He loves us and sacrificed His Son to free us (paraphrased). Jesus was broken and crushed, not because he sinned, but to save us because we are sinners. Christ died to set us free. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were freed, ‘saved’ and filled with the Holy Spirit. when the Holy Spirit took up residence in us, we were given the right to walk in God’s authority and His power.

So what does this have to do with our being broken-hearted?

Broken-hearted is when we finally strip away our pride, our focus on self, and surrender to God saying, “not my will, but your will God.” It is when we stand up, crush our free-will, our worldly life, our flesh, and replace it with God’s Will.  It is staying ‘awake’ and corralling our carnal life, refashioning it to reflect the image of God who directs our paths.

Christ sacrificed his life for us and we, in turn, sacrifice our lives for Him. When we recognize the importance and purpose of His sacrifice for us, we are freed. Our Lord promised to always be close to us. He is with us when we are broken-hearted and when our spirit is crushed. We exist because of His righteousness.  We are never alone.

Images – Google Images

References – Bible.com

Thank you for spending time on my sites, if you like what you are reading, follow me, lisasdailyinspirations.wordpress.com and receive the daily inspirations in your inbox, or visit my other site, youngchristianwarriors.com and subscribe.