How Can We Be Holy

This little devotional talks about grace. Something I feel we as Christians take more advangage of than the world.

In fact, I lean towards the thought that grace isn't so much for us Christians to do and go and be and drink, and party and still be holy on Sunday. But it's for the genuine person who is truly trying to turn their life around and want to live a better life and still has struggles that they just haven't gotten control over and need a little pick me up.

But who am I? A no body who was saved by the very subject in this devotional who still struggles with life and wonders if it's all worth it all. Thank God, my hope isn't in grace alone but the author of it, Jesus Christ, Himself and He is looking to pour more of it out on others who are in the highway's and byways of life.

God Bless.

How Can We Be Holy?

Of His [Jesus'] fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16 NKJV 

God first reveals grace in the New Testament as the empowerment that gives us the fullness of Jesus. Grace is not first mentioned as a free gift or as the remittance of sins, although both these things are aspects of grace.

Grace is more than a “get out of jail free card.” It’s an unstoppable force that enables us to fulfill all God has called us to do. The primary function of God’s grace is to empower us, giving us the ability to go beyond our natural ability.

My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 TEV

In giving us the richest abundance of grace, God has given us the fullness of Jesus Christ Himself! This includes all of His characteristics. So one way to put it is that God’s grace has re-created us to be like Jesus and to live on the earth like He did.

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6 NIV)

This is no suggestion; it is God’s command! This charge might seem intimidating, especially when we are struggling with sin. But holiness is not a work of the flesh; it is a product of His grace. We will always struggle with sin if we don’t tap into the power God has given us to set us free. If we see grace as only covering our sins, of course we’re going to struggle to find victory. But when we take hold of His grace as He truly intended it—as an empowering force that enables us to be like Him—then we can acceptably serve Him (see Hebrews 12:28).

God knows that we are human. He knows where we are weak. We cannot live rightly on our own, which is why He gave us His grace. It gives us the ability to do what we cannot do in our own ability.

…we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted… 

…So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy. (2 Corinthians 6:1; 7:1 TEV)

When God calls you to be holy, He is not setting you up for failure. He didn’t send Jesus to die and conquer death just so you could survive in a small, sinful life until you finally make it to heaven. He has made available to you all that you need to live a relentless life of victory and righteousness. Do you believe you can appropriate the grace He has placed before you and use it as He intended?

Author Unknown

Seven Sayings From The Cross

This little devotional is from a bigger devotional on the seven sayings from the cross but I wanted to share today's lesson with you.

I can't imagine being on a cross with a thief let alone being on a cross to die for the sins of this world. I don't love anyone enough to go to a cross.

But Jesus is amazing here. His williness to not only die for us here 2000 years later but he is willing to love and die for a thief right up to the end.

Yep, that's just the kind of guy Jesus is!

God Bless.

Seven Sayings from the Cross

Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise'

- Luke 23:43

The second lesson we learn as we look to Jesus on the cross is this: think of others in the midst of your own suffering. Here, in the darkest hour in human history, we find the One who is suffering is thinking of others.

On the cross, Jesus was not only bearing the wounds from scourging, beating, slapping, and crucifixion -- he was bearing all the sins of all His people and the wrath of God for them. There are no words to describe or parallel experiences to illustrate the misery this must have been. It was literally hell on earth.

How unexpected, then, to see one of the thieves crucified next to him turn to him and ask for a place in his kingdom. But, as striking as that scene doubtless was, it must have been even more shocking to see the One who was suffering so much turn to the thief and speak to him words of comfort.

If Jesus can think of others at a time like this, surely we are utterly without excuse for ever being self-centered or self-absorbed in times of personal struggle or affliction. If Jesus can help and encourage and comfort while hanging on the cross, then we can certainly minister to others in the midst of our own pain or grief or loss.

Are you struggling under the weight of some great difficulty or sorrow? Then look to Jesus on the cross. Not only does he have words of comfort for you, but his example is a model for you. May looking to Jesus take your eyes off yourself and inspire you to reach out to those around you who are hurting and hopeless and needy.

 http://baptistbiblehour.org

Growing In Discernment

I love the gift of discernment what I don't like is not fully understanding how it works and why's, the buts, and everything in between.

So, I'm not ashamed to admit, I need all the help in this subject because I want this gift. I don't want to lacking in any area where God is concerned. One could say I want it to do good and not evil.

I can also say I want it so I don't fall into a trap of lies, deceit, and temptations. Call it what you will be I need help in this area because I can and will fall for anything, that's how weak I am in self-confidence. If this subject was on self-centeredness, then yeah, I'd write the book about the subject.

I believe it's a gift every Christian should have, who knows if we put it into practice, this world may be a better place and questioning stupid things would be in the past, and God's voice and His movements would be so abound there would be no entry way for satan and his minions to get into peoples lives.

God Bless.

Growing in Discernment

Jesus lived His life by discernment. His discernment was not based on the superficial senses of His flesh, it was the result of His intimate communion and relationship with His Father God.

This same gift of discernment is available to you and me through our relationship with God.

So how does it work? Before you do anything, you must quickly check with your spirit to see if the thing you are about to do is OK. If you have peace, then proceed. But if you are uncomfortable, confused or frustrated, remain still.

For instance, at times I've been at the mall getting ready to purchase something, but before I reached the checkout counter, I sensed a frustration in my spirit, which was like a nudge from the Holy Spirit not to make the purchase.

The exciting thing about moments like these is every time you and I choose to listen to and follow the Holy Spirit's promptings, our spirits grow stronger in God, and more and more of God's power is released in our lives to operate in the fruit of the Spirit.

Yield to the Holy Spirit and follow His promptings, and you will grow in the same discernment that Jesus walked in.

Prayer Starter: God, I don't want to make decisions based on my own fleshly desires. I want to walk in discernment. As I check with You when I'm making decisions, frustrate the desires I have that are not of You, and give me peace to follow Your way.

Author thought to be Joyce Meyer 

Your Three Best Weapons

Sometimes I feel like I'm never going to get off these front lines of the battle that rages against me. I long for peace, and normalcy, and everything in between.

I'm always on the look out to new information, strategies, and weapons to win the war and when I came across this little devotional that I had tucked away, I knew I had something powerful to use in my arsenal that will lead me to victory.

I just had to share in the hopes this will help you in your battles now and in the future.

God Bless.

Your Three Best Weapons

Through careful strategy and cunning deceit, Satan attempts to wage war against you and keep you in a mindset of defeat. But God has given you spiritual weapons to use against him. Here are the main three spiritual weapons you can use to fight off the enemy:

1. God's Word: Receive it through preaching, teaching, reading and private Bible study. Continue in the Word until it becomes revelation given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

2. Praise: This defeats the devil faster and more efficiently than any other battle plan, but it must be genuine heart-praise, not just lip service or a religious ritual.

3. Prayer: Prayer is relationship with the Godhead. It is communication with God, asking Him for help or talking with Him about whatever is on your heart. To have an effective prayer life, we must develop an intimate, personal relationship with the Father. Know that He loves you and that He wants to help you.

There is a war going on, but God is fighting on your side and has given you the weapons you need. Use them to send Satan running!

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You so much for giving me the spiritual weapons I need to fight my enemy. With Your help, I know that I can win the battle today!

Author thought to be Joyce Meyer Ministries

Death Rehearsal

Today is my birthday and when I read this little devotional, I thought, how fitting.

I'm not anxious for death, but rather life especially on this day but hey, 

death could just be around the corner and it's something I can't act like it 

may or may not take place but what I can keep my eyes on is the 

author of life and on this day, and in the days to come I choose the gift of

life!

God  Bless.

Death Rehearsal

John Piper
Thou dost sweep men away; they are like a dream, like grass which is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and withers. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:5–6, 12)

For me, the end of a year is like the end of my life.
And 11:59 pm on December 31 is like the moment of my death.

The 365 days of the year are like a miniature lifetime.
And these final hours are like the last days in the hospital
after the doctor has told me that the end is very near.
And in these last hours, the lifetime of this year passes before my eyes,
and I face the inevitable question: Did I live it well? 
Will Jesus Christ, the righteous judge, say 
“Well done, good and faithful servant”?

I feel very fortunate that this is the way my year ends.
And I pray that the year’s end might have the same significance for you.

The reason I feel fortunate is that it is a great advantage to
have a trial run at my own dying.
It is a great benefit to rehearse once a year in preparation
for the last scene of your life.
It is a great benefit because the morning of January 1
will find most of us alive, at the brink of a whole new lifetime,
able to start fresh all over again.

The great thing about rehearsals is that they
show you where your weaknesses are,
where your preparation was faulty;
and they leave you time to change before the real play.

I suppose for some of you the thought of dying is so morbid,
so gloomy, so fraught with grief and pain that you do your
best to keep it out of your minds, especially during holidays.
I think that is unwise and that you do yourself a great disservice.
For I have found that there are few things more revolutionizing
for my life than a periodic pondering of my own death.

How do you get a heart of wisdom so as to know how best to live?
The psalmist answers:

Thou dost sweep men away; they are like a dream, 

like grass which is renewed in the morning: in the

morning it flourishes and withers.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

(Psalm 90:5, 6, 12)

Numbering your days simply means remembering that your life is short and
your dying will be soon. Great wisdom — great, life-revolutionizing wisdom —
comes from periodically pondering these things.

The criterion of success that Paul used to measure his
life was whether he had kept the faith. This is what I want us to focus on.

And if we discover that we did not keep the faith this past year,
then we can be glad, as I am, that this year-end death is
(we hope) only a rehearsal, and a whole life of potential faith-keeping
lies before us in the next year.

From “I Have Kept the Faith”

Character Tests

If I haven't said it before, I'm going to say it now. I love Joyce Meyer and how her words make me think and pull on my heart to look deeper inside me so that I may grow in wisdom and knowledge.

This little devotional is exactly what I need in a time like this. Let's face it, this world is going to hell in a hand basket and instead of looking at the negative, I need something positative to exchange for the negative.

This little devotional gives some good practical things that I can wrap my mind around on how I should be living and to me, that's priceless.

God Bless.

Character Tests

by Joyce Meyer

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous [those upright and in harmony with You]; for You, Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers, are a righteous God.
—Psalm 7:9

Have you found yourself wondering lately if the condition of this world can get any worse? Life is filled with challenges that test your determination and your faith in God. Whether faced with the impending threat of terrorism or with simple everyday hassles, the quality of your character is sure to be tested on a regular basis.

You must remember that God tests our hearts, our emotions, and our minds. What does it really mean to test something? Pressure is put on it to see if it will do what it says it will do. Will it hold up under stress? Can it perform at the level its maker says it can? Is it genuine when measured against a true standard of quality? 

God does the same with us. Ask God to give you grace to pass all your tests.

---

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Cooperate With God's Plan

I don't cooperate well with others let alone with God. I'm a natural born fighter. I want what I want, when I want it.

Call it selfish, call it whatever you wish. I'm not proud of this fact by any means. But when I entered into this world I was force to fight for my life. My very breath even. There were so major complications surrounding my birth and my life in general. I was forced to come up with a plan of my own. 

Or at least I thought I had to but what I didn't realize it hasn't really been me who's kept me alive all these years but God and He seems to have a plan that I just can't see or don't want to see. In any case, I struggle with the thoughts of letting go and let God but that doesn't mean my heart really wants to. 

It's a weakness I have in me and this little devotional helps keeps me grounded and reminds me that there is something bigger that is running me life and He loves me more than I can possibly imagine.

God Bless.

Cooperate with God's Plan

by Joyce Meyer - 

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
- Jeremiah 29:11

God has a plan for every person and His Word clearly says it is a good plan. But Satan starts his dirty work early in your life, attempting to pervert and destroy God's good plan. He arranges for all kinds of disappointing, discouraging, hurtful, and frightening events to take place. And often he does a lot of damage.

But no matter how much you have been hurt, God can restore you. If you experienced a bad beginning, do not despair. God is in the business of repair, and His repairs are better than new. However this restoration will not happen automatically. You must believe the Word of God and fully cooperate with Him during the restoration process. Look to the one who loves you unconditionally and is the giver of all good gifts.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2004 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.