Kelly--When unexpected things happen you can react in 2 ways:
1) Walk away or 2) Run harder
We are required to take the first step then God will always meet us where we are at.
War Between the Spirit and the Flesh
Romans 7:14-8:2
1 Thessalonians 5:21-23
We have 3 parts: Spirit, Soul, Body
--Body = The thing that lays in the casket when you die. It lets you experience the 5 senses.
--Soul = Mind, Will & Emotions
Your Body + Your Soul = Flesh
Before salvation the Spirit is along for the ride. It has no choice or voice because the flesh sins.
When you are saved your Spirit and the Holy Spirit come together.
At this point you have a choice about sin: You can choose to give into the sin of the flesh or you can listen to the Holy Spirit.
Fear of consequences is not enough to keep an unsaved person from sinning.
So as we are saved and desire not to sin but instead live Holy lives we need to Minimize the voice of the flesh with discipline and maximize the voice of the Holy Spirit by enhancing it.
How?? Starve the Flesh & Feed the Spirit!
1) Read God's Word.
--Because your flesh doesn't want to but your Spirit needs its fill.
--The more of God's Word you have hidden in your heart the more you have to draw from.
2) Fast.
--Your flesh doesn't want to because it's being disciplined but the more we silence the flesh the more we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
3) Prayer.
--Move around to stay awake!
--Give God time to talk.
4) Worship!
These four steps are how you get rid of habitual sin.
James 4:7-8
Habitual sin will be there your whole life if you try to combat it yourself... God holds the key to victory.
Get rid of it by:
1) Strengthening your Spirit through Reading the Word, Fasting, Prayer, and Worship!
2) Accountability by confessing to your brothers/sisters in Christ about the sin and asking them for prayer and guidance. The more transparent we are with each other the more light there is in our lives which leads to more victory.
Sin separates us from God. The first depiction of this is when Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden of Eden after they had sinned.
The problem is habitual sin. The answer is to draw near to God! Intimacy with God means God fights the battle for you. Embrace the answer instead of fighting the problem.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
XA ~ May 24th, 2011 ~ Pastor Brad
Leaving A Spiritual Legacy
People that do something significant for Jesus leave a legacy. Be a person that leaves a legacy of Faith.
Paul's legacy was Timothy. Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus (Whom the book of Ephesians was written to).
1 Timothy 1:1-7
Verse 5: "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
--This is how you leave a legacy.
Who have you influenced & lead to the Lord? These people and the people they influence are your "downline." How many people are in your downline?
You have to love people before you can lead them. This means we need to Love God and Love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40) Getting people saved is a by-product of loving them.
Breakdown of Verse 5:
Pure Heart: This means we need to have unconditional love and give it freely.
--Do you give to get? Or give?
Good Conscience: This means we need to be uncompromising in our walk with God. Because we are our brothers keeper we need to be living so that we look like Jesus at ALL times, not just when we are at church, XA, Bible study, or around certain people. Are people encouraged or discouraged when they watch your life?
Sincere Faith: Are you consistent in the time you spend with God? How about your investment in others and in church?
--Does your faith change the way you operate? Or does the way you operate change your faith?
If we follow the model depicted in this verse we will leave a legacy.
People that do something significant for Jesus leave a legacy. Be a person that leaves a legacy of Faith.
Paul's legacy was Timothy. Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus (Whom the book of Ephesians was written to).
1 Timothy 1:1-7
Verse 5: "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
--This is how you leave a legacy.
Who have you influenced & lead to the Lord? These people and the people they influence are your "downline." How many people are in your downline?
You have to love people before you can lead them. This means we need to Love God and Love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40) Getting people saved is a by-product of loving them.
Breakdown of Verse 5:
Pure Heart: This means we need to have unconditional love and give it freely.
--Do you give to get? Or give?
Good Conscience: This means we need to be uncompromising in our walk with God. Because we are our brothers keeper we need to be living so that we look like Jesus at ALL times, not just when we are at church, XA, Bible study, or around certain people. Are people encouraged or discouraged when they watch your life?
Sincere Faith: Are you consistent in the time you spend with God? How about your investment in others and in church?
--Does your faith change the way you operate? Or does the way you operate change your faith?
If we follow the model depicted in this verse we will leave a legacy.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
XA ~ May 17th, 2011 ~ Rev. Dave Leedahl
Godly Priorities
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This lesson is based on the story of Joseph which starts at Genesis 37 and continues through the end of the book. The main portion of the lesson is from chapters 37-41.
Burn #1: Joseph was burned by his brothers
-His brothers were going to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery... Brotherly love, I think not!
-He did not want to sin against GOD. Because for Joseph, God was #1!
Burn #2: Joseph was burned by his master (Potiphar)
-Joseph was doing the right thing, turning down Potiphar's wife, and was sent to prison.
-Even though Joseph was putting God first he still got burned.
Burn #3: Joseph was burned by the cupbearer
-Genesis 40:23 The cupbearer could have helped to get Joseph out of prison but he forgot about him.
13 years after the cupbearer burns him...
The cupbearer hears about Pharaoh's dream and remembers how Joseph interpreted his dream so Pharaoh calls for Joseph (who is still in prison) to interpret his dream. Joseph says (Gen 41:16) "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." He puts God first. Joseph interprets the dream which comes true, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of Egypt.
**Joseph had to go through getting burned for God to prepare him for the place he would hold.
This is a list of things God laid on Dave's heart about putting God first...
1) Self-entitlement will destroy your priorities.
--It's not "We are blessed because God loves us." or "I deserve the A because I love the Lord." It's "We get stuff & because we love the Lord we give it back to Him."
2) Your priorities will fuel your goals & your goals will fuel your destiny.
--Are your priorities today fueling your goals?
--If you want to be a woman of the Word or a woman of Prayer... It means digging in TODAY! Because you won't just get there. You have to work each day to put God first.
3)Your constant focus on the urgent will divert you from what is important.
--If we are always focused on what has to be done right now (homework, errands, watching Glee) we will be distracted from what is most important for us and our future, spending time with the Lord.
4)As you prioritize your relationship with Jesus Christ, other priorities will fall into place.
--Don't waste your time because Jesus Christ is not your #1 priority.
--As we've mentioned all year in small group, if you put God first by reading the word, praying, going to church, etc. He will always provide enough time, money, energy, or whatever you are seeking. If you are not putting God first your other activities are going to be less productive and then results in wasting your time as Dave has mentioned.
God has a priority for your life!
Acts 17: 26-28 "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. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
This Summer is for Striving!
*Our generation has been compared to a flood, shallow, widespread but with no direction or motivation. Instead let's be a river, deep and focused with motivation to head down the path God has called us on.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This lesson is based on the story of Joseph which starts at Genesis 37 and continues through the end of the book. The main portion of the lesson is from chapters 37-41.
Burn #1: Joseph was burned by his brothers
-His brothers were going to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery... Brotherly love, I think not!
-He did not want to sin against GOD. Because for Joseph, God was #1!
Burn #2: Joseph was burned by his master (Potiphar)
-Joseph was doing the right thing, turning down Potiphar's wife, and was sent to prison.
-Even though Joseph was putting God first he still got burned.
Burn #3: Joseph was burned by the cupbearer
-Genesis 40:23 The cupbearer could have helped to get Joseph out of prison but he forgot about him.
13 years after the cupbearer burns him...
The cupbearer hears about Pharaoh's dream and remembers how Joseph interpreted his dream so Pharaoh calls for Joseph (who is still in prison) to interpret his dream. Joseph says (Gen 41:16) "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." He puts God first. Joseph interprets the dream which comes true, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of Egypt.
**Joseph had to go through getting burned for God to prepare him for the place he would hold.
This is a list of things God laid on Dave's heart about putting God first...
1) Self-entitlement will destroy your priorities.
--It's not "We are blessed because God loves us." or "I deserve the A because I love the Lord." It's "We get stuff & because we love the Lord we give it back to Him."
2) Your priorities will fuel your goals & your goals will fuel your destiny.
--Are your priorities today fueling your goals?
--If you want to be a woman of the Word or a woman of Prayer... It means digging in TODAY! Because you won't just get there. You have to work each day to put God first.
3)Your constant focus on the urgent will divert you from what is important.
--If we are always focused on what has to be done right now (homework, errands, watching Glee) we will be distracted from what is most important for us and our future, spending time with the Lord.
4)As you prioritize your relationship with Jesus Christ, other priorities will fall into place.
--Don't waste your time because Jesus Christ is not your #1 priority.
--As we've mentioned all year in small group, if you put God first by reading the word, praying, going to church, etc. He will always provide enough time, money, energy, or whatever you are seeking. If you are not putting God first your other activities are going to be less productive and then results in wasting your time as Dave has mentioned.
God has a priority for your life!
Acts 17: 26-28 "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. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
This Summer is for Striving!
*Our generation has been compared to a flood, shallow, widespread but with no direction or motivation. Instead let's be a river, deep and focused with motivation to head down the path God has called us on.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Why You Really Wanna Wait to Have Sex... Book Review!
“What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex” by Dannah Gresh is the perfect book for any single woman curious about sex; so any single woman could benefit from reading this book. Dannah’s approach is to be totally honest about how awesome sex is within the confines of marriage as God intended it to be. Being a college sophomore who didn’t wait until marriage I found healing in the “Starting Over” chapter and with much prayer have found freedom from my past. God’s will for sex is beautiful. Sex is not just a physical act but a spiritual connection as well, Dannah emphasizes the difference between sex within marriage (yada) and sex outside marriage (shakab). Dannah does a great job providing insight on topics most people shy away from when encouraging singles to wait until marriage. She confronts porn, masturbation, and confusion about sexuality by digging through God’s word and presenting His opinion and direction. Throughout the book I found comfort in knowing God’s word is always at the forefront of Dannah’s discussion. Dannah looks to God’s word to provide true guidance for girls who choose to remain pure for the one who is God’s best for them. I will definitely be passing this book around to every girl I know!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Serving To Multiply
Today my devotional was on Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Talents. It's amazing how God can use a devotional that has a preset lesson for each day to solidify something He has already been placing on my heart. Earlier this week at small group I shared Matthew 5:46-47 "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"
This word awakened me to the fact that God calls us to reach out to those we do not know, that we would share the love of Christ with them. The love God gives us is not meant for ourselves but for us to give that love to others out of the overflow of our heart. And not just those we already love but strangers as well. So many times I would go to Chi Alpha and only talk to my friends to catch up and would not meet one new person. Since God has opened my eyes to this word I have been more aware of meeting people I do not know, especially those who seem new to Chi Alpha.
If we don't reach out we may be missing an opportunity to share the truth of Jesus' love for us. We need to be spiritually available for Him to guide us to those divine appointments where we can invite someone to Chi Alpha or church or even the times when we can lead someone to Christ right there on the spot. We have to be open to being inconvenienced, having to go out of our way to serve. This may be our biggest stumbling block since our schedules are busy and we tend to ignore our surroundings when we are on the go. But this week let's slow down on our walks to class and ask God if there is someone who we are supposed to meet today.
God has given you all the talents you need to serve Him, don't be lazy but work hard to multiply what he has given you so that when you come into His kingdom He would say to you "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt 25:21)
God open our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit. Give us the courage to step out of our comfort zone to serve you. Inconvenience us so that we can serve you where you need us. Let us multiply the talents you have given us to further your kingdom. We give everything to you so that we can serve you wholeheartedly, not holding anything back, so that you would say to us "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Lord we love you more than words can say. Keep us close to your heart as we seek you out. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Be blessed this week! Be a light for Jesus and love like Him!
This word awakened me to the fact that God calls us to reach out to those we do not know, that we would share the love of Christ with them. The love God gives us is not meant for ourselves but for us to give that love to others out of the overflow of our heart. And not just those we already love but strangers as well. So many times I would go to Chi Alpha and only talk to my friends to catch up and would not meet one new person. Since God has opened my eyes to this word I have been more aware of meeting people I do not know, especially those who seem new to Chi Alpha.
If we don't reach out we may be missing an opportunity to share the truth of Jesus' love for us. We need to be spiritually available for Him to guide us to those divine appointments where we can invite someone to Chi Alpha or church or even the times when we can lead someone to Christ right there on the spot. We have to be open to being inconvenienced, having to go out of our way to serve. This may be our biggest stumbling block since our schedules are busy and we tend to ignore our surroundings when we are on the go. But this week let's slow down on our walks to class and ask God if there is someone who we are supposed to meet today.
God has given you all the talents you need to serve Him, don't be lazy but work hard to multiply what he has given you so that when you come into His kingdom He would say to you "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt 25:21)
God open our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit. Give us the courage to step out of our comfort zone to serve you. Inconvenience us so that we can serve you where you need us. Let us multiply the talents you have given us to further your kingdom. We give everything to you so that we can serve you wholeheartedly, not holding anything back, so that you would say to us "Well done, good and faithful servant!" Lord we love you more than words can say. Keep us close to your heart as we seek you out. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Be blessed this week! Be a light for Jesus and love like Him!
Friday, February 18, 2011
What A Great Week With the Holy Spirit!
Psalm 9:1-2 "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
Psalm 139: "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you."Wow! Today I am just blown away by how truly Great our God is! Jesus is alive and moving on the campuses in Fargo as people are coming to know what it means to have a personal relationship with God. I'm going to share my week with you and just brag on God.
Sunday: Dean Niforatos held a Holy Spirit conference at Fargo First Assembly. The key part for me from the 10 am service is that every time to go to church, or small group, or pray, or worship it's about an encounter with Jesus. We should not leave that place until we are changed, we should never walk out the door the same way we came in. This concept has changed the way I see meetings with Jesus. The 6 pm service was all about the Holy Spirit. Dean said, "Jesus can work on us but he'd rather work in us and through us by being baptized in the Holy Spirit." During this service there was an outpouring of the Spirit and a large group of people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and we prayed in tongues in a large group it was awesome!!!
Monday: I woke up late, had night class so I couldn't go to Dean's service but even through what would be considered a poorly scheduled day the joy of the Lord was in me.
Tuesday: My night class got done an 1 1/2 early so I headed over to First Assembly to hear Dean speak on repentance. There is so much false repentance in our world; when people hide their sin, whine and complain about their situation and the consequences. True repentance is crying out to God to take your sins away and to pray for guidance that you would never commit those sins again. When you truly repent you don't want to leave the altar (or your bedroom floor) until your sinful desires are gone.
Wednesday: Small Group!!! We had the best small group of all time! We prayed together, worshiped, and moved into the lesson I had prepared "Attitudes of the Heart: Judgment." We didn't get through the lesson because as we read one verse in the Bible our discussion would blossom and we covered some very major things that we were struggling with. Morgan and I decided we are going to worship at the beginning of every small group because the Spirit just filled us with His presence!
Thursday: Chi Alpha... We had a small gathering last night because of a concert in Grand Forks but we still had an awesome meeting with Jesus. Pastor Brad spoke on wisdom in both your public and private life. Referencing James 1:5 and 1 Kings 3:5-12, 3:16-28, 10:1-13. We ask God for wisdom, He delivers! Also I had sprained my ankle earlier this week and it was really bugging me. A girl a Chi Alpha got a word from the Spirit about someone with a knee or ankle pain as well as someone with stomach issues that we were to pray over. I questioned God a little bit thinking "Oh it's not that serious" but He kept prompting me so I went forward and received prayer over my ankle and God healed it! He is so good! I have been hearing great testimonies of healing over the past couple of weeks and feel blessed to now be one of them! I don't feel any more pain or tightness in my ankle and can jump around on it, I couldn't do this before. Praise God!
This is our God, He is alive and moving and desires to move in us and through us. How awesome is our God!!! If you have any sweet testimonies or stories where God has really moved in your life over the past week or so please post them in the comments!
God bless you all! Let's praise and worship the one who gave us life!!!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Jesus Light of the World
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
What a wonderful promise from our Savior. If we sacrifice our lives by giving up the things of this world and follow Him, He will never let us walk in darkness. That doesn't suggest that there won't be times when you face storms and trials but it means that through it all we have a light to show us the way.
What does the light do for us? "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) So the light is a lamp, it gives us the next step or two but not the whole path of our lives. The word provides a lamp to direct us to live like Jesus with the power of God's love shining bright. This is where our five year plans and even three month plans become irrelevant because the only direction we have now is for the present. It's great to have goals and a vision so I'm not saying we shouldn't set goals and have a purpose for our mission; instead we should not be mapping out our lives but following God's call as He leads us. Looking back the times when I've missed taking God's direction was because I had already laid out my own path in my mind and was ignoring God's call. We should not be following our path but the perfect path God has set out before us.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God makes all things work together for our good! So what do we do? Read the Word, seek Him out in prayer asking for guidance, that your light would make the path clear, and give up your will for God's (easier said than done, but the reward far surpasses the instant gratification from this world). I have no place in this world, my home is in God's Kingdom in Heaven, but while I'm here I'm going to do my best to love with the love that God has given me. Because if God brings you to it... He will bring you through it!
I pray you are blessed abundantly today! That God puts His favor on you and His love overwhelms you.
~Paige Marie
What a wonderful promise from our Savior. If we sacrifice our lives by giving up the things of this world and follow Him, He will never let us walk in darkness. That doesn't suggest that there won't be times when you face storms and trials but it means that through it all we have a light to show us the way.
What does the light do for us? "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) So the light is a lamp, it gives us the next step or two but not the whole path of our lives. The word provides a lamp to direct us to live like Jesus with the power of God's love shining bright. This is where our five year plans and even three month plans become irrelevant because the only direction we have now is for the present. It's great to have goals and a vision so I'm not saying we shouldn't set goals and have a purpose for our mission; instead we should not be mapping out our lives but following God's call as He leads us. Looking back the times when I've missed taking God's direction was because I had already laid out my own path in my mind and was ignoring God's call. We should not be following our path but the perfect path God has set out before us.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God makes all things work together for our good! So what do we do? Read the Word, seek Him out in prayer asking for guidance, that your light would make the path clear, and give up your will for God's (easier said than done, but the reward far surpasses the instant gratification from this world). I have no place in this world, my home is in God's Kingdom in Heaven, but while I'm here I'm going to do my best to love with the love that God has given me. Because if God brings you to it... He will bring you through it!
I pray you are blessed abundantly today! That God puts His favor on you and His love overwhelms you.
~Paige Marie
Friday, February 4, 2011
New Life in Jesus Christ
Over the past couple of weeks 2 Corinthians 5:17 has been a resounding word in my heart and in my life. It reads... "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" What a great promise from our God!!! As we are born again in Christ and have given our lives over to him we are made completely new. Things of our past are gone, they have been spread as far as the east is from the west and have been buried in the ocean floor. Because of the great sacrifice of Christ we never have to be the same again, every day is a brand new day! Likewise Galations 5:1 says "It is for
I just want to list some verses here that echo you are a new creation, that you are free from your past because Christ made it so by paying for your sins on the cross!
1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade...
Lamentations 3:22-24 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
Ezekiel 18:31 "Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit."
Ezekiel 36:25-26 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Ephesians 4:23 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
These verses provide confirmation that we are made new in Christ Jesus! We are free from the past and free from sin! As Jesus says in Revelation 21:5, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Let's lift our Savior up in praise and worship all the days of our lives because "To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ! freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." This again declares freedom from our past. We are no longer slaves to sin so with the name of Jesus we can stomp down the devil and any feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy he has snuck into our hearts. God has healed me from brokenness from my past and is continuing to do work on my heart. Even though I praise my God in complete freedom, the devil continues to try to bring me down with thoughts of inadequacy. This has been a struggle for me recently; I have accepted a leadership role within Chi Alpha as a small group leader for next year and am currently co-leading with my small group leader. During the time of prayer and conversation surrounding this appointment to leadership I was being bogged down with thoughts of "I'm not good enough, my life isn't pure enough, why would anyone come to my small group? the other leaders are so much better." All of these are lies from the pit of Hell. God loves each of us as He knew us by name even before we came to be and He would never put us down as the devil finds it so fun to do. God has made us perfect in His image and we are completely adequate in His sight. So as the devil tries to bring up the past let's shut Him out with the name of Jesus!
I just want to list some verses here that echo you are a new creation, that you are free from your past because Christ made it so by paying for your sins on the cross!
1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade...
Lamentations 3:22-24 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
Ezekiel 18:31 "Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit."
Ezekiel 36:25-26 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Ephesians 4:23 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
These verses provide confirmation that we are made new in Christ Jesus! We are free from the past and free from sin! As Jesus says in Revelation 21:5, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Let's lift our Savior up in praise and worship all the days of our lives because "To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ! freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." This again declares freedom from our past. We are no longer slaves to sin so with the name of Jesus we can stomp down the devil and any feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy he has snuck into our hearts. God has healed me from brokenness from my past and is continuing to do work on my heart. Even though I praise my God in complete freedom, the devil continues to try to bring me down with thoughts of inadequacy. This has been a struggle for me recently; I have accepted a leadership role within Chi Alpha as a small group leader for next year and am currently co-leading with my small group leader. During the time of prayer and conversation surrounding this appointment to leadership I was being bogged down with thoughts of "I'm not good enough, my life isn't pure enough, why would anyone come to my small group? the other leaders are so much better." All of these are lies from the pit of Hell. God loves each of us as He knew us by name even before we came to be and He would never put us down as the devil finds it so fun to do. God has made us perfect in His image and we are completely adequate in His sight. So as the devil tries to bring up the past let's shut Him out with the name of Jesus!
Friday, January 14, 2011
An Early Morning Armor
Matthew 9:9-13
I desire to see people in the way God sees them, without judgement but rather with love. When Jesus told Matthew to follow Him Matthew was probably thinking, "Why me? I'm a tax collector, people hate me, why would the Son of God want anything to do with me?" Jesus gives us the answer, "For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Sometimes I feel I don't deserve what God is freely giving me, that I should have to be better, work harder, or love more to receive His blessing and favor. But those thoughts of inadequacy are from Satan, they are not the truth. Because God has given us authority we can declare these thoughts gone in the name of Jesus and be freed from the devil's grasp. To prevent these lies from affecting us in the future we should put on "the full Armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11. Ephesians 6:10-20 fully explains what the Armor of God is and what it is capable of.)
Each day we should wake up and put on the armor of God so that we will be ready for the battle, so we are living with Him and not susceptible to the devil's lies. Last night I was talking to a friend about how our attitudes and days turn out differently when we spend time with Jesus in the morning versus when we put it off until later in the day. We agreed that our days go much better when we devote time to God in the mornings, when we wake up early to spend time to worship, pray, and to dig into the word. On these days I have joy, peace and love that carry me through the day. On days when I leave my time with God for later in the day (often before bed) or don't spend time at all I find myself battling through the day. I often have to fight to stay positive and struggle to love others, when I could have taken 5 minutes to praise, pray, and read that could have changed the entire course of my day. My challenge for you is to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Get up and spend some time with God before you start your day and see how your outlook changes. Maybe you'll start seeing people through love rather than judgement. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to witness and bring lost sheep to Christ. Anything is possible with our God.
Let today be a day of praise! God is Love.
~Paige Marie
I desire to see people in the way God sees them, without judgement but rather with love. When Jesus told Matthew to follow Him Matthew was probably thinking, "Why me? I'm a tax collector, people hate me, why would the Son of God want anything to do with me?" Jesus gives us the answer, "For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Sometimes I feel I don't deserve what God is freely giving me, that I should have to be better, work harder, or love more to receive His blessing and favor. But those thoughts of inadequacy are from Satan, they are not the truth. Because God has given us authority we can declare these thoughts gone in the name of Jesus and be freed from the devil's grasp. To prevent these lies from affecting us in the future we should put on "the full Armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11. Ephesians 6:10-20 fully explains what the Armor of God is and what it is capable of.)
Each day we should wake up and put on the armor of God so that we will be ready for the battle, so we are living with Him and not susceptible to the devil's lies. Last night I was talking to a friend about how our attitudes and days turn out differently when we spend time with Jesus in the morning versus when we put it off until later in the day. We agreed that our days go much better when we devote time to God in the mornings, when we wake up early to spend time to worship, pray, and to dig into the word. On these days I have joy, peace and love that carry me through the day. On days when I leave my time with God for later in the day (often before bed) or don't spend time at all I find myself battling through the day. I often have to fight to stay positive and struggle to love others, when I could have taken 5 minutes to praise, pray, and read that could have changed the entire course of my day. My challenge for you is to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier in the morning. Get up and spend some time with God before you start your day and see how your outlook changes. Maybe you'll start seeing people through love rather than judgement. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to witness and bring lost sheep to Christ. Anything is possible with our God.
Let today be a day of praise! God is Love.
~Paige Marie
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread
Luke 11:1-4
Jesus tells us to pray "Give us each day our daily bread." As a child learning the Lord's prayer I thought this was a request for food but in actuality this statement is a request for daily filling of the Spirit, a desire for the presence of God to be with us each day. In the past I would go to church on Sunday and felt like I had spent my time with God and I was good until next week. This mind-set is so far from what Jesus tells us in verse 3 because to be in a relationship with God we are to seek Him daily. In my closest relationships with friends it is rare I go more than a couple of days without spending time with them. If we spend so much time building a relationship with friends, how much more time should we spend with our Father who gave us life and set us free?
My New Year commitment to God is to spend time with God daily and to track what I've read and learned that day in a journal. Having a record not only holds me accountable to spend time and write every day but it also gives me a chance to look back and praise God for the work He's done. Looking back to where I was when I first attended Chi Alpha in August, I barely remember the person I used to be. I have grown so much through spending time with God, through worship, and through spending time in Bible study with friends. He has put His favor on me and has blessed me abundantly. Because our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) we should seek to see His face daily, to know His love in a greater way, to grow into an intimate relationship with our Savior and Lover.
My desire is to grow into an intimate relationship with God, one where I am more in love with Him and need Him more every day. To grow I need to spend time with Him; reading His word, praying, worshipping, living a life of praise, serving, listening.
Father I pray for a passion for you to rise up in our hearts. That we could not go one more day without seeking your presence. That your Holy Spirit would live in us and we could serve you all the days of our lives. Would you open our eyes to see your face in places unexpected, open our ears to listen for your voice, and break our hearts for the things that break yours. Jesus we desire to know you more, let us praise you till the ends of the earth. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
God is Love. 1 John 4:8
Jesus tells us to pray "Give us each day our daily bread." As a child learning the Lord's prayer I thought this was a request for food but in actuality this statement is a request for daily filling of the Spirit, a desire for the presence of God to be with us each day. In the past I would go to church on Sunday and felt like I had spent my time with God and I was good until next week. This mind-set is so far from what Jesus tells us in verse 3 because to be in a relationship with God we are to seek Him daily. In my closest relationships with friends it is rare I go more than a couple of days without spending time with them. If we spend so much time building a relationship with friends, how much more time should we spend with our Father who gave us life and set us free?
My New Year commitment to God is to spend time with God daily and to track what I've read and learned that day in a journal. Having a record not only holds me accountable to spend time and write every day but it also gives me a chance to look back and praise God for the work He's done. Looking back to where I was when I first attended Chi Alpha in August, I barely remember the person I used to be. I have grown so much through spending time with God, through worship, and through spending time in Bible study with friends. He has put His favor on me and has blessed me abundantly. Because our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) we should seek to see His face daily, to know His love in a greater way, to grow into an intimate relationship with our Savior and Lover.
My desire is to grow into an intimate relationship with God, one where I am more in love with Him and need Him more every day. To grow I need to spend time with Him; reading His word, praying, worshipping, living a life of praise, serving, listening.
Father I pray for a passion for you to rise up in our hearts. That we could not go one more day without seeking your presence. That your Holy Spirit would live in us and we could serve you all the days of our lives. Would you open our eyes to see your face in places unexpected, open our ears to listen for your voice, and break our hearts for the things that break yours. Jesus we desire to know you more, let us praise you till the ends of the earth. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
God is Love. 1 John 4:8
Thursday, December 16, 2010
I'm Not What I've Done. I'm What I've Overcome.
Today I just want to share my heart about what God has done in my life since I've moved to Fargo-Moorhead. I left my hometown brokenhearted and completely let down by someone very close to me and I was grasping for hope in the deepest pit I had ever been in. I had heard of Chi Alpha from a friend and decided to go the first week of school. I went to the Underground at MSUM and found myself amongst beautiful people that believed in, trusted, and relied on a personal God. That night I rededicated my life to Christ. I continued to attend Chi Alpha and very quickly found myself amongst the best friends I have ever met in my life and I am so blessed to call them my family. Just because our hearts belong to God doesn't mean we don't face troubling times, we just have hope that better days are coming and trust God will bring us through. During what could have been a stressful finals week I instead remained at peace and made sure to spend time with Jesus every day. God definitely blessed me throughout the whole week and I have never been in such an intimate place with Him in all my life. And the best part is that I have so far to go! To go deeper into relationship and grow even closer to Him...
Amongst all the joy and peace I've received from my Daddy, I have fought Satan continuously as he tries to push me further and further from my goal. Satan's ammo was my past; memories, feelings, dreams, pain, Satan grabbed everything he could to pull me back to bury me in the pit God had rescued me from. At the Chi Alpha Girl's Night I was prayed over and found myself truly fulfilled by God with memories of the past completely swept away. I am no longer haunted by images of the past because God has blessed me with forgiveness and has repaired the cracks and has made my heart new. Every once in a while if I let my guard down, Satan tries to sneak his way in with lies from the pit of Hell. The devil tries to bring me back to my sin, make me feel guilty, and drag me further from God. When I notice this happening my first reaction is to pray; I pray God will remove anything from my heart and mind that is not of Him and he does. I am set free from my past and have been given a second chance to create a new identity in Him.
Fireflight has a song called, "What I've Overcome" and the lyrics are as if they were written straight from my heart. (There's a link to the song at the bottom of the page.) I don't know how I could better explain my current situation than through the lyrics of this song. I have such a passion for God and a joy in Him as if I have been born again. I'm free from my past since he has spread it as far as the east is from the west and has buried it in the bottom of the ocean! Amongst my Chi Alpha family I am not my past, my family does not judge me based on what I've done because that's not who I am. They see me as who I am in Christ, my identity comes from Him. I have struggled to see myself in the same light until very recently. I kept myself from forgiving myself and it blinded me from seeing the beautiful woman God has made me to be. I now see myself as His daughter who He loves beyond what my imagination can comprehend. He sent His son to die for me and has forgiven me even though I don't at all deserve it. He loves us beyond what we deserve because we are His creation, His children. He has called us to be sons and daughters of the light and has put His favor on us. We are blessed and loved!!!
Today my prayer is that people from my past could push aside what they knew of me and instead see who I've become as I am now the woman God has created me to be. This is the hard part about going home, I really don't like to go home to the people who treat me as though I've never changed. The people who gossip, sling bad names about people, who think of me as the person I used to be. Take note that from my experience, as well as my friends', people's perceptions of you are not easily changed. People may recognize a change but most continue to treat you as if you are still the same person you were before. Be careful about your words and actions as people chose to define you through them. Especially those currently in high school; your reputation sticks with you for a long time. Is yours one that you want to stick around? If not, change it NOW! You don't have to wait for the summer, next year, or college to start over. By the grace of God you can do it today. No it won't be easy, change never is, but you can be redefined by a God who is so provides healing and guidance. If this is you and you want to put the past behind you and move into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ please pray with me.
Father, I'm sorry. I've let the world control me and I no longer look to you for guidance. Please forgive me for the sins that have buried me and have brought me apart for you. Jesus would you come into my heart and put all the broken pieces together and fill the cracks and crevices so that the devil has no power over me. I pray that you are near to me and would speak to me so I can walk in your ways. Daddy I thank you for the work you are doing in me and I lift up your name for the great work your are doing in my life. God put people in my life that will help me walk with you and lead me into a personal relationship with you. Set my heart on fire. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
May God bless you abundantly and set you free from your past in the name of Jesus. God Bless!
Love,
Paige
Here's the link to Fireflight, "What I've Overcome"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKonnpA71yE
Amongst all the joy and peace I've received from my Daddy, I have fought Satan continuously as he tries to push me further and further from my goal. Satan's ammo was my past; memories, feelings, dreams, pain, Satan grabbed everything he could to pull me back to bury me in the pit God had rescued me from. At the Chi Alpha Girl's Night I was prayed over and found myself truly fulfilled by God with memories of the past completely swept away. I am no longer haunted by images of the past because God has blessed me with forgiveness and has repaired the cracks and has made my heart new. Every once in a while if I let my guard down, Satan tries to sneak his way in with lies from the pit of Hell. The devil tries to bring me back to my sin, make me feel guilty, and drag me further from God. When I notice this happening my first reaction is to pray; I pray God will remove anything from my heart and mind that is not of Him and he does. I am set free from my past and have been given a second chance to create a new identity in Him.
Fireflight has a song called, "What I've Overcome" and the lyrics are as if they were written straight from my heart. (There's a link to the song at the bottom of the page.) I don't know how I could better explain my current situation than through the lyrics of this song. I have such a passion for God and a joy in Him as if I have been born again. I'm free from my past since he has spread it as far as the east is from the west and has buried it in the bottom of the ocean! Amongst my Chi Alpha family I am not my past, my family does not judge me based on what I've done because that's not who I am. They see me as who I am in Christ, my identity comes from Him. I have struggled to see myself in the same light until very recently. I kept myself from forgiving myself and it blinded me from seeing the beautiful woman God has made me to be. I now see myself as His daughter who He loves beyond what my imagination can comprehend. He sent His son to die for me and has forgiven me even though I don't at all deserve it. He loves us beyond what we deserve because we are His creation, His children. He has called us to be sons and daughters of the light and has put His favor on us. We are blessed and loved!!!
Today my prayer is that people from my past could push aside what they knew of me and instead see who I've become as I am now the woman God has created me to be. This is the hard part about going home, I really don't like to go home to the people who treat me as though I've never changed. The people who gossip, sling bad names about people, who think of me as the person I used to be. Take note that from my experience, as well as my friends', people's perceptions of you are not easily changed. People may recognize a change but most continue to treat you as if you are still the same person you were before. Be careful about your words and actions as people chose to define you through them. Especially those currently in high school; your reputation sticks with you for a long time. Is yours one that you want to stick around? If not, change it NOW! You don't have to wait for the summer, next year, or college to start over. By the grace of God you can do it today. No it won't be easy, change never is, but you can be redefined by a God who is so provides healing and guidance. If this is you and you want to put the past behind you and move into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ please pray with me.
Father, I'm sorry. I've let the world control me and I no longer look to you for guidance. Please forgive me for the sins that have buried me and have brought me apart for you. Jesus would you come into my heart and put all the broken pieces together and fill the cracks and crevices so that the devil has no power over me. I pray that you are near to me and would speak to me so I can walk in your ways. Daddy I thank you for the work you are doing in me and I lift up your name for the great work your are doing in my life. God put people in my life that will help me walk with you and lead me into a personal relationship with you. Set my heart on fire. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
May God bless you abundantly and set you free from your past in the name of Jesus. God Bless!
Love,
Paige
Here's the link to Fireflight, "What I've Overcome"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKonnpA71yE
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
From the Deepest Pit to a Solid Rock
David, the man after God's own heart. In Sunday School I was taught about all the great things David did, about how God put favor on him and blessed him abundantly. How David wrote a lot of Psalms. But what I wasn't taught about was David's brokenness, the despair and depression he went through as he was being hunted by Saul. Why were we not taught the whole story? Because I believe that the man of God that David became was because he turned to God to lift him out of the pit he was buried in.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT)
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
David cried out to the Lord while he was hiding out in a cave on the mountain side and was patient. There have been times when I've prayed and wanted an answer now and not waited on the Lord and have made the wrong decision. David cried out and waited for God to reply to him. In this verse he's suggesting that answers sometimes take patience and time of prayer. If you speed things along they may not happen at the time God has planned them for, so slow down and wait on the Lord.
God lifted David out of his pit of despair, all the dirt and grime that was burring him alive. God will not let you drown, he will deliver you from anything that has consumed you in your past. I have experienced this first hand. I can't believe I haven't even been in Fargo-Moorhead for four months because God has lifted me out of the pit I was buried in and has delivered me from my past. He has given me such love and joy. He has comforted me so that I may comfort others who go through something similar to my troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He gives me wisdom and clarity in His word. He has blessed me and is so good. No pit you are in is too deep for God to lift you out of. No matter what you have done, where you have been, God can turn your life around and give you a second chance... or a third... or a fourth. He just wants you to live as His son or daughter of Christ.
God took him out, cleaned him off and set him on a solid rock. God is our solid rock our ground to stand upon. He will never fail us because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) and how God loves us! It's an indescribable love that is overflowing for YOU! Something that Pastor Bob spoke on at church this past Sunday was that God plans for good to come out of the troubling times and that because God is with you, your troubles are good. This spoke to my heart in such a big way because I know God plans to use my past and my struggles to build me up and to build up those around me, but I never really considered my troubles to be good. In my eyes there was no good in troubles only after the struggle did I see a greater purpose. So if you are struggling ask God to open your eyes to His purpose and the good that is there in your time of trial.
You may be wondering why I listed two translations of the Psalm when they are so similarly worded. NIV ends in "and gave me a firm place to stand" while NLT ends in "and steadied me as I walked along." I find comfort in both but would like to explain what my heart has explained to me. God gives us a firm place to stand basically restates that he has set your feet on a rock or solid ground, easy to understand. But "[He] steadied me as I walked along" says that as we stumble and start to tip over or fall that God will be there to steady you. God is so faithful, He will not let you fall. He is holding on to you and walks you through your life helping you over the cracks and around the crevices that can lead us into another pit and away from Him. Walk your days with Him and you will be steadied in your weaknesses! And in pursing a life with God you too with be a man or woman after God's own heart.
May God bless you in abundance and reveal His will for you. If you find yourself in a pit may God deliver you from your sins and transgressions. And set you upon a solid rock our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins to give us new life. Turn to Him in prayer and seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and He will steady you in your walk of life. Praise God for the joy we have in Him. Amen!
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
Psalm 40:1-2 (NLT)
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
David cried out to the Lord while he was hiding out in a cave on the mountain side and was patient. There have been times when I've prayed and wanted an answer now and not waited on the Lord and have made the wrong decision. David cried out and waited for God to reply to him. In this verse he's suggesting that answers sometimes take patience and time of prayer. If you speed things along they may not happen at the time God has planned them for, so slow down and wait on the Lord.
God lifted David out of his pit of despair, all the dirt and grime that was burring him alive. God will not let you drown, he will deliver you from anything that has consumed you in your past. I have experienced this first hand. I can't believe I haven't even been in Fargo-Moorhead for four months because God has lifted me out of the pit I was buried in and has delivered me from my past. He has given me such love and joy. He has comforted me so that I may comfort others who go through something similar to my troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He gives me wisdom and clarity in His word. He has blessed me and is so good. No pit you are in is too deep for God to lift you out of. No matter what you have done, where you have been, God can turn your life around and give you a second chance... or a third... or a fourth. He just wants you to live as His son or daughter of Christ.
God took him out, cleaned him off and set him on a solid rock. God is our solid rock our ground to stand upon. He will never fail us because love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8) and how God loves us! It's an indescribable love that is overflowing for YOU! Something that Pastor Bob spoke on at church this past Sunday was that God plans for good to come out of the troubling times and that because God is with you, your troubles are good. This spoke to my heart in such a big way because I know God plans to use my past and my struggles to build me up and to build up those around me, but I never really considered my troubles to be good. In my eyes there was no good in troubles only after the struggle did I see a greater purpose. So if you are struggling ask God to open your eyes to His purpose and the good that is there in your time of trial.
You may be wondering why I listed two translations of the Psalm when they are so similarly worded. NIV ends in "and gave me a firm place to stand" while NLT ends in "and steadied me as I walked along." I find comfort in both but would like to explain what my heart has explained to me. God gives us a firm place to stand basically restates that he has set your feet on a rock or solid ground, easy to understand. But "[He] steadied me as I walked along" says that as we stumble and start to tip over or fall that God will be there to steady you. God is so faithful, He will not let you fall. He is holding on to you and walks you through your life helping you over the cracks and around the crevices that can lead us into another pit and away from Him. Walk your days with Him and you will be steadied in your weaknesses! And in pursing a life with God you too with be a man or woman after God's own heart.
May God bless you in abundance and reveal His will for you. If you find yourself in a pit may God deliver you from your sins and transgressions. And set you upon a solid rock our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins to give us new life. Turn to Him in prayer and seek a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and He will steady you in your walk of life. Praise God for the joy we have in Him. Amen!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Love
Wow how God has comforted me and provided guidance for me through His word lately. Last week I found myself struggling, with homework to do, trying to decide whether or not to quit my job, missing my family, everything seemed to pile on as a burden. But as He promises God always brings us out of the darkness and into the light. He will provide for us no matter where we are or what we're going through because He is the author of our storybook.
This morning I woke up and read Romans 12:9-21. The focus is love, my favorite subject. I love to be in love and I don't mean like in the movies. I mean honest love. The love God has for us and gives to us. Love that never fails. Romans 12:9 (NIV) says "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." It just so happens that this verse is also the KLove verse of the day provided in the New Living Translation says "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." I love the simplicity of the NLT verse, it is straight forward and real, something that is easy for me to understand and apply to how I live and love.
"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them." To me this means not just saying you love someone but really loving them with the love you receive from our Father. This love is unconditional and honest, without hesitation. How many times to do overuse love in the day? It's become normal to say "I love that song," "I love that class," "I love the cake I made." Is this true love? Do you really love it or do you just like it? Same goes for relationships. Guard your hearts. Professing you love someone means you really love them. Once again I think back to 1 Corinthians 13, all the guidelines of what love is. To be honest, I don't trust myself in saying that I have loved unconditionally in past relationships. But now that I am living a life with Jesus in my heart I trust that God will provide for me a spouse that I can love unconditionally. I'm simply waiting on Him to correct my heart so that I can love my beloved in the way that He does.
"Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." There are so many things that are wrong in this world. Things that push us away from God and His plan for us and lead us into sin. We are to hate these things and in doing so run away from them. We all know what is right and wrong, we all have a conscience and have been taught what is ethical. So why would you stay in a situation that leads you to sin, that separates you from God? Instead of sticking with the things that lead you to sin, hold tightly to what is good. Currently, I am holding onto my friends from Chi Alpha and my Rivercity church families that are continuing to grow each day. I hold tight to my Bible, sometimes literally in this Fargo wind! I hold tight to my purity and the new life I have in Jesus. I never want to be who I've been but instead continue to grow in faith and be an example of Christ's love.
God's love is unconditional, limitless, and the best promise we've been given. He will love us no matter where we've been or where we are. He will lift us out of our pit and will bring us into the light as we learn to live out His will for us.
Thank you Jesus for your life and for the perfect example you are of God's love. Give me your heart, help me to love like you. Because I want to be completely in love with you. Amen.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
David, A King But A Human None-the-Less
David, the king of Israel, is someone we look to in the Bible as a "Godly man," someone who is a model of loving like God. Yet David had is fair share of worldly problems, and wasn't always close to God. He saw a lot of heartache and fell into a deep depression when he was being hunted by Saul. Saul wanted to kill David, so David fled. Then as Saul got closer to David, he would be forced to flee again. The poor guy is getting chased everywhere and takes refuge in a cave. I would assume he had a lot of time to devote to prayer and meditation while in solitude.
David was an author of 73 of the psalms. Some psalms are joyous and uplifting of praises and thanksgiving to God, others express deep emotions about some of the author's most rock-bottom times. This morning I was lead to Psalms 69-71, written by David when he was obviously seeking freedom from a pit of depression. In Psalms 69 David is crying out to God to save him from the depression he is facing. He turns to God for deliverance because he knows God can raise him up, he's trusting in Him. As I read this my heart aches just imagining the amount of people who are sinking in a pit and who do not know Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.
Throughout the Psalms, David goes from depressed to joyous, from hopeless to hopeful, from complaining about his current situation to relying on God to take lift him up. How many times do we flip flop between being happy to sad, from being motivated to lazy, from being lifted up to sinking in a pit. David is every bit human yet parts of his story exude God. David had God in his heart and let God be in control, he knew God would not give him more than he could handle so he trusted and waited on God.
When we are in times of depression, sorrow, grief, despair we are to turn to God for redemption, salvation and healing. God can clean any wound, heal any scar, and strengthen your spirit no matter what your past. Because "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke 18:27
David was an author of 73 of the psalms. Some psalms are joyous and uplifting of praises and thanksgiving to God, others express deep emotions about some of the author's most rock-bottom times. This morning I was lead to Psalms 69-71, written by David when he was obviously seeking freedom from a pit of depression. In Psalms 69 David is crying out to God to save him from the depression he is facing. He turns to God for deliverance because he knows God can raise him up, he's trusting in Him. As I read this my heart aches just imagining the amount of people who are sinking in a pit and who do not know Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer.
Throughout the Psalms, David goes from depressed to joyous, from hopeless to hopeful, from complaining about his current situation to relying on God to take lift him up. How many times do we flip flop between being happy to sad, from being motivated to lazy, from being lifted up to sinking in a pit. David is every bit human yet parts of his story exude God. David had God in his heart and let God be in control, he knew God would not give him more than he could handle so he trusted and waited on God.
When we are in times of depression, sorrow, grief, despair we are to turn to God for redemption, salvation and healing. God can clean any wound, heal any scar, and strengthen your spirit no matter what your past. Because "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke 18:27
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Who Are You Trying To Please???
God is so good! The Bible, God's word, is a manual of how to live our lives pleasing to Him. The Lord led me to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, I didn't realize how much guidance a 5 chapter book could provide. Living to Please God. The first verse of chapter four says, "We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more." For me this verse is saying, "Yeah you've got the concept, now work harder to live in a way that pleases your Father."
This urge to please God brings me to Galatians 1:10 "Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." As Christians we should be living to serve Christ, if we desire to be servants of Christ we cannot try to please men but must be trying to please God. Similar to my post about the 21 Day "Read Your Bible" Challenge, I can always find some sort of excuse to do something other than spend time with God. There are so many things that I can fill my time with that are not pleasing to God. Ignoring the fact that my Daddy wants to spend time with me creates a space that allows Satan to come between us. When I'm not spending quiet time with God each day, Satan finds ways to sneak in and warp my thoughts or even my heart. As I desire to spend eternity with my Father in Heaven, I will work to live in a way that pleases God.
Getting back to 1 Thessalonians, Verses 3-5 focus entirely on sexual immorality. Living in a society where sex is used to sell everything, even diapers, sexual pressures from the media and our peers is hard to ignore. But if we want to please God we must lead pure lives. Verses 7-8 say, "For God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." If we are not living a pure life, we are rejecting God. And our Father in Heaven punishes us just as our earthly fathers punish us. To avoid punishment, most likely from both fathers, like a pure life, spend time to learn from Jesus' example.
Verses 9-10 mention how we have been taught by God to love each other which led me to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." What an awesome gift God has given us by loving us! "Love never fails," and since God is love, He will never fail! God is wanting us to love on others in the same way He loves on us.
Verses 11-12 are to the point in saying we should lead a quiet life and to mind our own business. In doing so we will gain the respect of others and will not be dependent on anybody. So let us live our lives dependent on God alone, working to please Him alone. Trusting in Him that he will provide for us, no matter what.
God Bless!
~Paige
This urge to please God brings me to Galatians 1:10 "Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." As Christians we should be living to serve Christ, if we desire to be servants of Christ we cannot try to please men but must be trying to please God. Similar to my post about the 21 Day "Read Your Bible" Challenge, I can always find some sort of excuse to do something other than spend time with God. There are so many things that I can fill my time with that are not pleasing to God. Ignoring the fact that my Daddy wants to spend time with me creates a space that allows Satan to come between us. When I'm not spending quiet time with God each day, Satan finds ways to sneak in and warp my thoughts or even my heart. As I desire to spend eternity with my Father in Heaven, I will work to live in a way that pleases God.
Getting back to 1 Thessalonians, Verses 3-5 focus entirely on sexual immorality. Living in a society where sex is used to sell everything, even diapers, sexual pressures from the media and our peers is hard to ignore. But if we want to please God we must lead pure lives. Verses 7-8 say, "For God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit." If we are not living a pure life, we are rejecting God. And our Father in Heaven punishes us just as our earthly fathers punish us. To avoid punishment, most likely from both fathers, like a pure life, spend time to learn from Jesus' example.
Verses 9-10 mention how we have been taught by God to love each other which led me to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." What an awesome gift God has given us by loving us! "Love never fails," and since God is love, He will never fail! God is wanting us to love on others in the same way He loves on us.
Verses 11-12 are to the point in saying we should lead a quiet life and to mind our own business. In doing so we will gain the respect of others and will not be dependent on anybody. So let us live our lives dependent on God alone, working to please Him alone. Trusting in Him that he will provide for us, no matter what.
God Bless!
~Paige
21 Day "Read Your Bible" Challenge
Sometimes I catch myself making excuses for why I'm too busy to pick up my Bible to read. "I've got too much homework, Glee is on tonight, I should really do some laundry, Sammy asked me to hang out," the list is endless. But last night at my Chi Alpha small group I realized how important reading God's word really is to me. Thinking back on times where I've read my Bible in the morning, my day seemed to always go better. Even if something negative did happen, my reaction was more positive and I handled difficult situations with more grace. I'm starting a 21 Day "Read Your Bible" Challenge along with the members of my small group. I encourage you to do the same. 21 days, 3 weeks, each day just taking 5, 10, maybe 20 minutes to read the Bible. As I'm typing this I just decided in order to keep me accountable, I will be posting what I'm reading and where God is using it each day.
God Bless and Read On!!!!
~Paige
God Bless and Read On!!!!
~Paige
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