Thursday, February 23, 2012

Did You Do It?

Did you do it? Did you do something that you shouldn’t have? Did you not do something that you should have?


Did you do it? Did you think a thought you shouldn’t have? Did you react the wrong way? Did you open your mouth when you should have kept it shut? Did you keep it shut when you should have opened it?

Did you do it? Did you look at what you shouldn’t have? Did you not look at what you should have?

Did you judge, indulge, make wrong choices etc…?


How are you feeling? Discouraged, worthless, defeated, condemned, guilty?


Did you do it?

Did you confess it to Jesus?

Did you ask for forgiveness?

Did you remember that He forgives?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

Did you remind yourself that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus?

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
Romans 8:1-4

Did you remind yourself that He is faithful?

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
2nd Timothy 2:13

Did you remind yourself that you are victorious through Jesus Christ?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place
2nd Corinthians 2:14

We can’t take sin lightly, but we also can’t allow it to paralyze us and keep us stuck in the past. We don’t have to be defined by our failures when there is a Savior who offers forgiveness for our past, power to overcome what keeps holding us back and the opportunity to move forward in life. Remember Jesus went to the cross for us and rose again with all power and authority. Did you do it?

Troy

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Life Can Get Tough, But God Is Still With You

Throughout all of human history, the voice of God resounds with absolute assurance: "I am with you."
Richard Foster

I sure do enjoy it when things go smoothly. I love it when I hear a song and I think I have it figured out before I even pick up the guitar to learn it and when I go to learn it, the chords are as I thought. I love it when there is a challenge and a thought comes to me as to how to resolve it, and when I follow that action, it does work out.

If only life were that smooth all the time. It seems every time I go to download some new program for the computer I missed a step, or I don't have some type of software that is needed. It just never goes smoothly.

Of course, there are more serious issues than those that we have to face in life. When we face those really troubling issues and there is no fix, or it doesn't seem like anything is changing, we can begin to doubt God even being there with us.

Sadly, there have been many who have come to the conclusion that God isn't there for them ,or after praying and seeing no result, or it turns out worse, people can come to believe that God isn't real.

When life is falling apart it is not always easy to believe that God is there for you, but He is. The enemy of our soul wants us to believe that God doesn't care, or that He isn't there, but He is.

Facing a challenging time right now? He is there.
Life isn't getting any easier? He is there.
People are telling you to give up on God? He is there.
Thoughts inside your head telling you nothing is ever going to change? He is there.

The Bible is full of stories of people going through tough times and God having to remind them that He was with them.

To Issac on the move: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you" (Genesis 26:24).

To Jacob escaping from the wrath of his brother: " I am with you and keep you wherever you go" (Genesis 28:15).

To Joshua, the man who follow Moses as the next leader : "I will be with you as I was with Moses" (Joshua 3:7)

... And the list goes on:

1st Chronicles 17:2

Isaiah 41:9,10

Jeremiah 1:7,8

Matthew 28:20

Acts 18:9,10

We could mention more.

 Richard Foster says,"Across thousands of years, with wave upon wave of names and faces and recurring events, the Bible threads God's patient words of love and faithfulness: I am with you."
 
 
Troy