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
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