Take Aways

We had a wonderful teaching from a lovely lady who comes to us once a year at Plant Grow Harvest Church.  Her name is Irene and she is from California and works in a mission that helps children and teaches women all around the world.  We are blessed to get a short version of the teaching she shares in her women's meetings.  And it's always good!!  After jotting down a lot of notes during her presentation, I came home and summarized it into some easy to remember (or read when I forget) sentences so I could grow more like Jesus and be a brighter light for Him.  These are my take aways. 

1) Practice sanctification. 

Romans 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

2) Practice the truth.

1 John 1:5-10 his is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

3) Reflect transformation. 

James 1:22-25  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

4) Make a radical break from the old life. I remember when I decided I needed to get clean of drugs and alcohol, I couldn't just wean myself off, I had to make a radical break from them.  

5) Entrust Jesus with my time.  I tend to guard my time closely...but it's not really mine to guard, it's mine to give back to Jesus and let Him decide how I spend it. 

6) Make a plan.  She gave an intensive reading plan that she has for going through the New Testament.  She does nine chapters a day and then repeats those nine chapters every day for a month.  Then she moves onto the next nine chapters.  However you want to do it, make a plan for your study time with God.  It can be subject matter, books of the Bible, a guided study....whatever, as long as it keeps you focused, moving and growing. 

7) Train my mind to be holy.  

1 Peter 1:13-15 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

8) And this is my favorite: Don't linger in bad company.  What is going on inside me? Thoughts, emotions, what am I lingering on?  What am I allowing to enter in?  The world? Social media? Regular media?  

Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

9) Think and remember before I speak.  Sometimes silence is best!  

10) Receive the first three fruits of the Spirit then let the rest be produced from there.  The first three are a gift of God and can only come from Him. 

Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

What ones in this list are take aways you can implement in your walk with Christ? 

Lord, we desire to honor You with all our minds, strength, hearts and lives.  Remind us, conform us, transform and live through us to Your glory and the blessing of those around us.  In Jesus' Name, amen. 

New Song Alert

I heard a song for the first time a couple of days ago and it just blew me away.  It's not a "new" song, but an old one, but for me it was the first time hearing it.  Often when we pray we want that instant deliverance, that right now answer, but it doesn't happen.  We wait.  Sometimes for years.  This song was a reminded that God is never late.  I know I am not the only one who needs to be reminded of this.  

Lord, give us the faith to wait on Your timing and not try to force the answers and plans You have for us.  

Staircases

Recently in one of our Bible studies we were talking about these verses and how they reflected a staircase.  I thought it an interesting way to view these passages and was reminded that the Beatitudes are often considered a staircase to Christ-like living.  

Colossians 3:1-17  3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.  12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Our words, actions and attitudes can be part of a staircase.  They can take us up or down.  When we follow the thoughts, actions, attitudes and words put forth in verses 5-9 they take us down the staircase.  When we follow the directions in verses 12-14, making our words and actions line up with the character of Christ, we go up the staircase, growing and getting closer to our Lord.  

We see another staircase in Matthew 5:3-10, the passage known as the Beatitudes.  Our lives reflect our attitudes.  If we walk up the staircase of the Beatitudes, we grown more Christlike.  Our witness becomes stronger, we attract people to Jesus, we build the kingdom of God and He is glorified.  I know that is my hearts desire.  

Matthew 5:1-11  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the [a]earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I love the staircase picture God gave.  It's such a great visual for our spiritual lives and something we can look at in our minds to see how we are doing spiritually.  If we look at the world around us in all its glory, it's no wonder our Father gives us visual pictures to help us understand spiritual concepts.  

Lord, I love the way You illustrate Your precepts.  Thank You!  Help us to be continually going up the staircase!  In Jesus's Name, our Savior, example and King.  Amen. 

Another staircase.  2 Peter 1:5-8  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

A Much Needed Prayer Each Day

Complaining, gossip, criticism, judging.  All these things start in our heart and our mind and if left unchecked eventually come out of our mouths.  One of my friends confessed that she had had a problem with this last week and she offered a short prayer to the Lord, "Lord, please remind me before I open my mouth."  That's it.  Short and sweet and to the point.  Lord, remind me before I speak to make sure my words are kind, encouraging, said in love and are helpful rather than hurtful.  We want to speak words that build the kingdom rather than tear down our witness and glorify Satan.  Such a simple prayer.  We see this reflected in David's words written in Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.  Let us prayer this prayer often during the day.  

Lord, thank You for the simple.  Thank You for the sweet.  Lord, remind me before I speak.  Put Your words in my mouth and Your attitude in my heart.  In the powerful Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.