BLOTTED OUT

"Remember not the sin of my youth and my rebellious ways according to your love remember me, for you are good O Lord."
Psalm 25:7

Poor memories are a part of human condition. And so when God tells us that He will remember our sins no more, I'm puzzled. How could God possibly forget?  That's our job!
   But He does. And His forgetting of my sin is a complete removal from His knowledge of every sin you and I have committed.
   Then why do we feel so bad about our past sin? Because we confuse sin with its impression. Got a notepad nearby? Let me show you how this can be so. Write the word "sin" on the page. Press hard. Now tear off that sheet if paper, crumple it up, and throw it across the room. That's how God forget your sin
   Now take your pencil and rub it on the new page at an angle, back and forth, over same location where you wrote. And guess what: The ghost of the word "sin appears.
   That's what our flawed memories do. We go back over the deep impression left by transgression in our life, and we feel just as guilty. It's as if the sin never left. But be encouraged, the impression of sin is not the same thing as sin. And with David you can cry out, "I can't forget my scar, it seems, Lord. But you have forgotten their cause. Look upon me with loving kind eyes.'

THE LAW OF THE LORD

The law of the Lord is perfect, it gives new strength, the  commands of the Lord are trustworthy, giving wisdom to those who lack it.
Psalm 90:7

God's Word is perfect spiritual Law. It is supernatural Medicine it work through the human spirit and is s spiritual cure, but like any other medicine, it must be applied on a regular basis. You Must SPEAk GOD'S Word to your individual circumstances or situation someone else can't do it for you. James 1:21 admonishes us to "receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." Once the Lord of God is engrafted into your spirit, it produces results in the body as well.
    Jesus said, "if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John15:7). When God's Word becomes engrafted or infused into your spirit, it becomes a part of you. It cannot be separated from you! It is not only your thought and affirmation, IT IS YOU! THE WORD MADE FLESH. Then your flesh will reflect the life if that Word. When God's  Word concerning healing takes roots in your flesh, it becomes greater than disease, and healing is the result.
    The image that the word creates in you is already a reality in the spirit realm. When you speak God's Word from your heart, then faith gives  substance to the promises of God. Your faith frames your world daily, Jesus made it very plain"s good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. . ." (Matt12:35).
    In the first chapter of Genesis you will notice that every time God spoke, creation took place! Words are the CARRIERS OF FAITH! "The worlds were framed by the Word of God" (Heb. 11:3). Without words, there wouldn't have been any creation. Your words create images, and eventually you will live out the reality of that image.
    Every time you speak your faith, it creates a stronger image inside you. If it  is healing you desire, the healing is created by God's Word and your continual
affirmation and agreement with you will come to pass. Eventually that image will be perfected by the Word of God and you will begin to see yourself well. When the Word is engrafted into you, it infuses its life into you. Read (John 6:63, Rom. 8:11).

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
2 Corinthian 2:14

The Bible says that your Father always causes you to triumph in Christ. Either it is true that you always triumph, or it isn't. The Scripture isn't ambiguous on this subject. If you assume the identity of "failure" when you don't achieve the outcome you hope for, you are setting yourself up for a chronic deception and, consequently continuous defeat. Your success rests in the fact that Jesus Christ is the source of your life. You will never be a failures because Divine DNA flows from your spirit.
   Armed with knowledge that you can't  be failure, you are in the unique position of being able to attempt great things. If you truly believed you could never be a failure, what would you attempt? The apostle wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The same is true of you.
   Does that mean that things will always turn out exactly the way you want? No. What it does mean is that no matter what the result is, you can move forward knowing that no temporary failures defines who you are. In fact, it is often true that apparent failures are not actual failures. They may actually be tools in the hands God intended to teach us, strengthen us, and guide us into His perfect plan.
   Thank you for declaring your plan  for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and future. I choose to renew my mind to your plans for a healthy lifestyle. You have  abounded toward me in all prudence and wisdom. Therefore I give thought to my steps. I choose  to take my everyday, ordinary life, my sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life, and place it before you as an offering. Embracing what you do for me is the best u can do for you.

FIND YOURSELF IN ME

If your concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.
Matthew 10:39

My Kingdom is not always logical, but it is always true. It would seem logical that if you wanted to find yourself you'd go looking for all the thing that would make you happy, whether it hurt someone else or not. But My way is exactly opposite.
To find yourself, forget about yourself. Take your mind totally off of you and look to Me instead. Care for others more than yourself. Let Me lead you along all the surprising trails and across the uncharted oceans of My love, keep your heart tuned into My channel, and you'll be shocked one day to look up and realize that not only have you found Me, but you have found Me, but you have found youself the one you were created to be!

Why Don't You Feel Him with You?

They asked each other, "were not our heart burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scripture to us?"
Luke 24:32

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HE RETURNED to the Father's presence, Jesus made a promise to His followers: "And remember, I Am with you always, day by day, until the close of the Age" (Matthew 28:20 weyMouth). The book of Hebrews echoes those words, quoting. Jesus as saying, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!"
    Why is it then that many say they do not feel the Lord is nearby? This promise was made to God's children which explain why it is hard for many non-believers to sense the warmth of His presence
    Others, though, are simply too busy to notice that He is there. They have no time to read the Bible, no time to hear His gentle voice, and no time to cultivate a relationship with Him. Then others never experience His presence or impact in their lives because their lifestyles are completely out of harmony with God's will. Do you want to cultivate an awareness of His presence? Here are some guideline.
1. Practice the presence of Jesus by serving others. Jesus was a servant, and you will never be closer to Him than when you serve as well.
2. Practice the presence of Jesus by developing an attitude of humility.
3. Practice the of Jesus through obedience. God has not given us the burden of understanding, but the simple mantle of obedience, leaving the reasons to His care.

Giants as your Bread

Oh, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land. For they are but bread for us to eat! The Lord is with us and he has removed his protection from them! Don't be afraid of them!
Number 14:9 TLB

A Sunday School Teacher told the story of David  and Goliath. She down on how big Goliath was. Then turning to one of the boys, she asked. "How would you like to fight someone that big!" Squirming, the lad replied, "No way, but if you bring on someone about my size. I'll take him on any day
    The problem though is that the giants you have to face don't come by "special order." Some problems seem to be your size; some are not. Joshua made a fascinating statement about the land of Canaan and its giants.
    The giants, he said, are "bread" for us. The word he used referred to wheat or grain that had been ground and made into a loaf. The same word was used for the showbread in the tabernacle. What he is really saying is that these giants whom you fear will be ground like wheat, becoming bread for you. And, if I may extend the metaphor, like the nourishment you get from bread, they will feed your faith and make you strong. That's the way it is with the giants in  your life.
    Do what do you do when you see a giants looming in your path pathway? Smile and say, "Here comes my bread!, knowing that God put the giants in your path so that you might subdue it and thus grow from the experience make whole or deal less frightening.
    Joshua's advice is good for us today: Don't rebel against God and don't fear the giants: but like David, confront him in the named of the Lord, and your giants will be bread for your soul.
   

Any thing else

For many as are led by the by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God.
Roman 8:4

We don't want to miss God's best for our lives. We want to be held on a steady course by His guiding presence. So, where do we find that guidance, that leading? Let's start by looking at some of the essential prerequisites that help us determine God's will. Thankfully, these are neither ambiguous nor mysterious
1. First and foremost, you must be a Christian. Read (Roman 8:4). When you accept Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you. Among other things. He is there to reveal the will of God to you. Only the believer has the Spirit's presence within, and we must have this inside help if we are going to follow the will of God.
2. Second you must be wise. "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16). Here a couple of examples of the foolishness that can occur when people attempt to decipher God's will in the wrong way. God tells us not to be foolish, but wise, making the most of our time, taking every opportunity that comes our way and using it wisely.
   Before his twentieth birthday, Jonathan Edwards, the brilliant and godly philosopher theologian who became God's instrument in the Great Awakening revival of the eighteenth century, resolved "Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can." That is exactly what he did, using well the intellectual gifts God had given him. He entered Yale at thirteen and at seventeen graduated at the head of his class. At twenty-six he was the minister of one of the largest congregation in Massachusetts.
    Scripture says that doing the will of the Lord requires wisdom, for, as Paul writes in the next verse, those who are wise, those who are not foolish, "understand what the will of the Lord is." Following the will of God requires wisdom, clear thinking, and, yes, even good old garden variety common sense. Such a mixture of help us understand the Father's will.
3.Third you must really want to do the will of God. "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from my Myself" (John 7. 17). Your "want to" is a greenlight: You really will do what He wants you to do. You really want to do the will of God more than anything else. More than completing your education, more than getting married, more than getting your house paid for; more than getting anything else you want to do the will of God.
    Looking back on my own life, I know that there have been times when I said I wanted to do His will but I really didn't. That's a tough thing to confess, but looking back with 20/20 hindsight, I realize that at times I resisted His will. I've learned that serious consequences follow selfish resistance. The apostle Paul offers words of counsel to those who were enslaved. They have great meaning for in this context. "Slaves, be obedience to those who are your master according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ," wrote Paul, not by way of eye service, as men pleasers but as slave of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart (Ephesians 6:5-6, emphasis added).
    Doing the will of God from the heart that's as deep as it gets. More than pleasing people, more than staying comfortable and safe, you want to please God. You want to follow His will with all of your being.

Obedience in Worship

Oh come, let us worship and bow down  let us kneel before the Lord our Maker
Psalm 95:6

When we teach children obedience, we tell them that it is good for them. We expound on the rewards they will reap when they do as we wish they will be kept safe from danger they will learn new skills, and most of all, they will live a blessed and meaningful life. We teach our children to obey because their doing so will bring them joy!
    It's the same with worship of God. You may not think of worship as a command to obey, but it is! In today's psalm, we hear the joyful command to come, sing, shout, worship, bow and kneel. When the scriptures tell us to worship, it's so we will be blessed in return.
    When we open our hearts to God, proclaiming His worth and thanking Him for His rich provision for us in Christ, it brings Him pleasure. In worship, we recognize that God is God and we are not. We acknowledge that there is no one higher, no one more powerful, no one more worthy of our esteem and praise than our Holy God. We need to learn to worship God in whole hearted obedience. Through worship we can receive the amazing blessing of meeting with our Maker.

FENCES TO FREEDOM

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Roman 6:1

In Paul's day Christian didn't wrestle with questions about dancing or going to movies. They wrestled with whether or not they should eat meat that had been offered to idols. In pagan worship, portion of meat were sacrificed to idols, and the part of the animal that was left over was sold to a meat market. Many Christians had reservation about eating the leftovers from these pagan rituals especially those who had just converted to Christianity.
  How did Paul handle this situation? Did he ice up the harbor with a lot of rigid, Pharisaical instruction? No. He broke open a breathing hole. He said they are free to eat (vv.25-27). The only time he limited that freedom was when there was a risk of violating someone else's conscience (vv. 28-29, 32-33).
    God has given His children a wonderful freedom in Christ, which includes not only freedom from sin and shame but also freedom from living a legalistic lifestyle imposed by other Christians Yet that doesn't imply that we are to run footloose and fancy-free, trampling over the garden in someone else's backyard. No. There are some fences that limit our freedom And two of those fences are found in Roman 6, erected in the form of questions.
First fences to freedom.
Earlier in Romans 5:20 Paul said, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. "Roman 6:1 poses the question that would logically flow from that assertion. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? The people who would raise this question are those who have failed to live in freedom. They live their lives overly sensitive to sin. As a result, sin dominates their lives and a sense if shame binds them. Paul answers their question with the good news that they've been set free from their old master. All they have to do is step out of the shackles that Christ has already unlocked. Talk about opening up breathing holes! With words of grace like that. We should be out in the expansive ocean, swimming free and unhindered.
Second fence to freedom.
The second question looks the same as the first, but on closer inspection this fence us really quite different. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! (V.15).
  In other words if there are no policemen lurking behind the speed limit sign, why not rev up the RPMs and go full throttle?
But that would be abusing grace, and it really wouldn't be living in freedom either. Liberty without limits is like an elementary school parking lot without speed bumps. If we live by grace, we should not be drag racing in wanton disregard of the safety of school children. We should drive conscientiously, always having our foot ready to the brakes should a pedestrian step into our way.  

WINNING THE INNER WAR

"Knowing this, that our old man was crucify with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin".
Romans 6:6 

The flesh, which is the old man, was crucify with Christ. His death makes it possible for us to be at peace with God and to experience true righteousness. But the old nature wasn't eradicated, just mortally wounded. It is still alive and at work within you. Your flesh still produces sin in your life. Galatians 5 calls them the " work of the flesh," and lists several area, like sexual sin, spiritual sin, self-centered sin, and societal sins. As you look through the list you'll see what the flesh produces: adultery, fornication, idolatry, hatred, discord, envy, rage. Those you became a Christian, you didn't lose that old nature. You still have it. Christ comes into your life and gives you a new nature, and two inter into a holy war. Paul put it this way in Galatians 5;17 "For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." A Christian has much harder time with inner struggles than a non christian, because we have these two nature at war within our selves.
    This war between old and new natures is the subject of Paul's letter to the Romans. He knows he has been changed, his heart's desire is to follow God, but he finds himself struggling against the flesh. In Romans 7:22 he writes, "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." That is the normal desire of Christians. There should be a desire within you to love God. There should be a sadness over sin and a wish to please Him. But Paul says, "I see another law in my members, warring against warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is my members." Even thought his heart's desire is to please God, it doesn't automatically happen. There is another force inside the flesh that prevents him pleasing God. He has the desire to do good things, but his performance doesn't measure up. That" why he says "For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice."
    There is a holy war going on inside every believer. You will face that fight every day, but it doesn't have to be one sad experience after another. There is hope for victory. God has given us a battle plan.
   In Galatians 5 we are given two keys to gaining victory over the flesh. Ones of them is negative and one positive. Notice the 24th verse: "And those who are in Christ's have crucified the flesh with it's passions and desires." There is a truth often misunderstood. It is not a positional truth, like the fact that we have been crucified with Christ and had the penalty for our sins paid. It is description of an action we have taken the flesh and done something with it.

Heavenly friends

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."
Acts 17:26

Did you catch that? It's no mistake that you are living in this century, thus decade, and this very year. It's no accident that you are residing in your town, living on the street you live, and with the neighbor you see every day. And is your circle of friends just coincidence? No way. God has determined it.
   Just think. You could have raised on the other side of the country think how different your life would be growing up with a whole new set of childhood friends and neighbors.
    Of all the billions of possibilities, of all the millions of people with whom you could have friends, God determined the exact time and place where you should live. When you consider this amazing fact, your friendships take on a new and profound significance. God has a special reason, a unique in each friendship. He chose to surround your life with these certain and treasured dear ones for good reasons.
   As Christian, these are the people with whom you will live for eternity enjoying an even greater dimension of friendship. Because God has placed you together in earth at this time and in this place, you and your friends have a chance to get a head start on God's eternal plan.
Father, I stand in awe at your wisdom and ways. You could have placed me anywhere on this earth, but You determined that I should live and now. Teach me what this means. Show us Your special design for my friends and family. And thank You that each person You put in my life is precious in Your eye.

SAVED FROM THE MOB

"Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?"
Acts 19:35b

The angry chanting of the silver craftsman thrown all of Ephesus into confusion, In the uproar, crowds converge on the city's open air theater, perhaps thinking they will be told what is going on. But in the sudden antipathy toward Paul, two Macedonians who are with him, Gaius and Aristarchus, are seized by the mob and taken; he is evidently nearby and even wants to go into the theater to address the mob. But the gravity of the situation is revealed by the disciples'  steadfast refusal to let him proceed. Furthermore, some provincial official who are, as Luke says, "friends" of Paul also advise him nit to go in.
    Meanwhile, the scene in the theater is one of mass confusion. Luke notes that "most of them did not know why they had come together," and "Some therefore cried one thing and some another." Finally, the Jews put forward a man named Alexander to make a defense. The Jew "wanted to clear themselves of any charge of opposing the worship of Artemis At the same time they want to place Paul and his followers in a bad light." However, the crowd does not listen to Alexander's statement; making no distinction between the Jew and the Christians, they shout him down.
    Finally, the city clerk stands up in the theater. This man's position is equivalent to that of a modern mayor. He has real authority, and the people recognize it and grow quiet. He begins by agreeing with their point, stating as undeniable fact that Ephesians is the home of the temple of Diana and "the image which fell down from Zeus" most like a meteorite with the appearance of an icon. But he continues, the very undeniability of these facts means there is no cause for alarm. Then with wells chosen words, he warns the crowd that they have wronged two innocent men who have not robbed the temple or blasphemed the goddess. If they have grievances, he says, they should proceed through proper legal channel. He then closes with a final warning. If the Roman authorities should find the citizen guilty of rioting, the city could lose privileges. Just as Demetrius warned that Paul's work could cost the city prestige, the clerk now warns that Demetrius' action may have the same result. And so he demetrius action may have the same result. And so he dismiss the crowd.

LOVING JUSTICE

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice."
Deuteronomy 32:4

Do you find yourself emphasizing the loving and forgiving nature of God, especially when seeking to reach a friend  who is turned off to Christianity? Scriptures like 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord...is  not willing  that any should perish," and 1 John 4:8, "God is love" shed light on the gracious and accepting nature of God.
    However, if, in talking to your friend you only emphasize God's loving side,  you run the risk of misrepresentating the power of His redemption of mankind. You see, God's love is counter- balance with His wrath. Yes, His wrath is not a popular concept these days, but it is real, and every person must reckon with it.
    The Scriptures teach that God will judge the lost. A Holy God can do nothing else than turn away unholy things. Thankfully, He has created a solution, through the shed blood of His Son. When God draws all history to a close, His judgment will stand alongside His mercy and love.

The effect of the Sword of the Spirit

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrew 4: 12

This passage is militant about the Bible. It says the scripture is alive, powerful, and can pierce the heart of men, even causing an enemy to retreat. It is useful for discerning truth, and it is the most dreaded weapon we can use against the enemy. A metal sword may pierce the body, but the word of God pierces the heart. A metal sword gets dull as you use it, but the sword of the spirit is sharpened went it use always. A metal sword requires the practiced hand of the soldier to be effective, but the sword of the spirit requires nothing. It carries its own power, and is able to function apart from the soldier's hand. A metal sword wounds to hurt, but the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal. How effective it is. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:37 and the sword worked wonders. "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The sword was turned to loose that day by Peter and he preached the Word of God concerning sin and judgment and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sword pierced the hearts of the people who listened in such a away that the scripture says they gave the invitation instead of the preacher! They asked, "What are we to do?
   Another illustration is in Acts 5:33 Here again the apostles and Peter have been talking and we read that "when they heard this, they were furious, and plotted to kill them." The sword of the Spirit, unleashed, has the power to cut right into the heart of a person. Sometimes they respond with anger to the truth. Have you ever experienced  the Word of God like that? Have you ever heard a sermon and known that every word was directed right at your heart? That's the sword of the spirit at work.

IN THE BELOVED

To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Ephesian 1:6

Who benefit from such times of praise and thanksgiving, and how?
First, praise pleases God, God loves it when we take the time to see His wonder and bless His name. Even certain offerings in the Old Testament were designated as praise offerings, reminding the Israelites to make room for gratitude in their lives (Lev.19.23-25). The Psalm are packed with ways to extol God from our hearts for His character and works. And salvation itself inspires a new language of thankfulness and awe in those who receive God's unsearchable grace. Read Ephesian 1:6 again.
Second, praise blesses us. Here's where we find help for broken  dreams. Glorifying God takes our eyes off ourselves and brings Him into clear focus. It replaces anxiety with awe, worry with worship, our inability with His ability ( Ps. 8).
Third, praise affect those around us. As Solomon watched his father David in praise and intercessory prayer, he learned something of God's greatness. Paul and Silas, after being beaten and thrown in prison, sang hymns, and the inmates heard of a hope that had long eludes  them ( Acts 16:25 ). As peoples see us  adoring our heavenly Father, they learn  something about His strength, His sufficiency, and His goodness.
  We may not get to live out all our dreams. But we can be sure we fit into God's  great plan somehow. After all, He  saved us. He gave us gifts to use for His glory. And He promised never to leave us. What can we do then, except to praise Him!
When life is at its lowest, praise gives us a higher perspectives . it reminds us God is still sovereign, that He still loves us, that He never failed us and that history is proceeding according to His plan. David could hand over to Solomon his dream of building the temple because he had God's vantage point.

BE INFORMED

These things commanded and teach
1 Timothy 4:11

Paul first counsels Timothy to "prescribe and teach these things" Paul is telling him to lay out the truth systematically and accurately. We are to take this same care with God's Word as we strive to be informed about the spiritual gifts This study has been a part of your investigation, but it is only the beginning. Thoroughly search out information in a variety of resources, and continue to reflect on your own interests and aptitudes as you probe. An important tool to carry with you is an inquisitive spirit. Avoid assuming you don't have a certain gift on the list without adequate questioning and contemplation. Be quiet. Be prayerful Mostly be open and tolerant, Be Informed.

In His Name

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A BETTER COVENANT.

But now hath be obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of the better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
HEBREW 8:6

All through the Old Testament, we find men who understood and took their place in the covenant Joshua could open River of Jordan. He could command time to stand still. Elijah could bring fire out of heaven to consume not only the sacrifice, but the altar as well David's mighty men were utterly shielded from death in time of war as long as they remembered the covenant. When read about them, you think you're reading about "supermen." Nearly all the prayer in the Old Testament  were prayed  by covenant men. Those prayers had to be answered.
   The believer today has the same covenant rights as believers who lived
Under the Old Covenant, in fact, we have better covenant established upon better promises. Therefore, we ought to be able to do all that they did and more, because we have a New better covenant, established on greater promised.