Playing with Your emotions

There seems to be a fine line these days when it comes to worship and the Word of God. While I do believe there is an important place for the singing and music during a church service...I also believe there is a place for quiet reflection and introspection during the service as well. It appears, quite simply, that many Christians and churches today have trouble being quiet in the presence of the Lord. God created us as emotional expressive beings. However God does not play upon our emotions to bring us to the point of spiritual decision. God's Word, which is God's truth, and God's Spirit are to be what arouses our highest emotions. My fear is that some evangelistic techniques are directed almost entirely to the emotions of those who are listening to the appeal. These techniques employ more psychology than Spirit-driven conviction.

 

Most followers of Jesus are aware that just because someone sheds some tears and dances in the isles of the church does not automatically make that person a saint. For we must be able to distinguish the difference between the human manipulation of emotions and the confirmation of God's truth working in us through the Holy Spirit. Often this revelation comes during the quiet times when we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. I have had many occasions when the Holy Spirit has directed me to just be quiet! For the wisdom of the Lord cannot get through if I'm always running my mouth and making noise:->

 

Stay in the Word!    

How God sees You!

Foundation Scripture: Ephesians 4:24 (Amplified Bible)

²⁴And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

God holds nothing against any of us when we become His children by faith. When God forgives us, He trusts us as though we had never sinned. So when Satan comes around to try to remind me of my past transgressions/sins, I remind Satan that everything that has been charged against me came from him, and now everything I have- forgiveness, peace, and freedom- I have received freely from my Lord Jesus Christ!

As long as you remain on this earth, God has not completed His work in you. The Spirit of the Lord will help you discern when the chastening hand of God is upon you. But if it is Satan or his demons trying to tamper with your life or your Christian testimony, stand firm and resist him in the victorious power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus has said to us, "Whatever your need, just come to the throne of grace. Anything you need, you may have!" So why not believe Him and exercise the dominion He has given you?

Stay in the Word and Meditate daily!

The Servents Ruling Passion

Foundation Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:9 (King James Version)

 ⁹Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.



My Labor for the Lord is never counted as loss. Since fully dedicating myself to the Lord Jesus Christ I have learned that the Lord preserves me in any/all circumstances. Having witnessed HIS love for me is what drives me to keep HIS commandments and learn to seek the Heart of the Master. Even though God is no respecter of men...HE is a respecter of His WORD and even values His Word above His name. So if I'm abiding in His Word and yielding to the Holy Spirit, I'm ultimately moving in the direction of God's Will and approval.

I have spent most of my life out of the Will of God...living like a castaway in a world without God. However God never gave up on me, thus I have surrendered my own ambitions in order to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave and deserves all I have!

^"Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]"  1 Thessalonians 5:17

Are you ready for Jesus?

Foundation scripture Luke 12:40

Luke 12:40 (New Living Translation)

40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

The great need of every Christian is to be ready to face Jesus at anytime. The battle oftentimes is not against sin or difficulties or circumstances, but being so absorbed in our own work that we are not prepared to meet Jesus.

Jesus rarely comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in the most illogical connections. We have to realize that it is not always service that matters…what does matter is having that intense spiritual reality of expecting Jesus at every turn! Grounding ourselves in this reality helps us maintain that childlike wonder the Lord wants us to have. If we are going to be ready for Jesus we have to stop using religion as a higher form of culture and be spiritually real!

If you are constantly looking to Jesus you will not be popular with this current religious age. You will often be called impractical and out of touch with earthly reality. However when Jesus Christ returns, whether it is in the darkness of night or the heat of the day, you will be the one who is ready!

Be Ready my dear friends!

Stay in the Word and meditate often!

Strength in Weakness

Read II Corinthians 12

Though we, like the apostle Paul, have much to boast in Christ Jesus, we must also be aware of our infirmities and not be ashamed to share those with others as well. Many times throughout life I have often had the idea that if I did not admit that I had a problem and or weakness…then there was no problem/weakness. When feeling low I used to put on the Simon & Garfunkel classic I Am A Rock and cast my pain onto the altar of “callous-ME” and languish in my false bravado for a season. However when I learned to cast my weakness and cares upon the Lord…I found that I no longer needed my own resolve or my old coping mechanisms to get me by.

II Corinthians 12:9 (Amplified Bible) sums it up so perfectly:

9 "But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!"

With Jesus Christ dwelling in and over us we no longer have to worry about our weaknesses and infirmities! We just cast our cares onto HIM and HE will be our comforter in our time of need!

Stay in the Word and meditate often!

Mark

The Lord of Unity and Joy!

Foundation Scriptures Acts 2:17 & Acts 20:24

The Lord always works when His people meet his conditions. The first condition is oneness of mind among the persons who are seeking God's presence. How wonderful unity is within the body of the Lord Jesus Christ! Unity often precedes blessing, and this can be demonstrated over and over again throughout the Bible.

Joy means the perfect fulfillment of that for which we were created and regenerated, not the successful doing of a thing. Our joy, like that of Jesus, should be doing that which we were sent/created to do. Jesus said: "As my Father hath sent ME, even so am I sending you." Have I received a ministry from the Lord? If so, have I been loyal to it, to count my life precious only for the fulfilling of that ministry? Just think of the satisfaction it will be to hear Jesus say: "Well done, good and faithful servant"; to know that you have done what HE sent you to do.

"Lovest thou Me?" Then- "Feed My sheep." There is no choice of service...only the absolute loyalty to Our Lords commission!

Remember how much the Lord Jesus Loves you!

God's Will...Our duty.

Foundation Scripture Proverbs 29:18

Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)


18 "Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he."


My conception of the Lord Jesus Christ is often used to justify the deliberate neglect of my duties. Like Jonah I often think that because God is full of mercy and justice...everything will be all right. Many times I have the right conception of God, and this may be the very reason that I do not do my duty. The truth is, if I got what I deserved, I would be in a mess of trouble!

When I lose sight of God, I begin to be reckless, I cast off certain restraints, I cast off praying, I cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on my own initiative. When I start thinking and believing that I am my own provider...I begin shutting God out and start heading into a downward spiritual spiral...thus I lose the vision! I thank God for the Holy Spirit that quickly corrects my errors in attitude and judgement! For my daily attitude needs to spring from the vision of God! I know and believe that God is going to do greater things than HE has ever done through those who are in tune to His Will and Vision! Now lets go out and do great things through Christ Jesus!!!

Stay in the Word and Meditate everyday!

Mark

Free From the Flesh

Foundation Romans 8:2 (Amplified Bible)

2 "For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death."

When the Holy Spirit is ignored or rejected, religious people are forced to either do their own creating or fossilize completely. Unfortunately many individuals and churches accept fossilization as the will of God and are content to rest on their laurels like an old dogmatic mattress. Others try to embrace the modern, and imitate the activities of the world with the mistaken idea that they are being creative. Yet even though they seek to dwell in the glass houses of fad, their mere imitations lack the qualities of eternity-holiness and spiritual dignity...In other words the Holy Spirit is not there.

It is hard to imagine a more painful disillusionment than to come to the judgement seat of Christ and find that we have wasted most of our earthly lives striving after flesh and starving the Holy Spirit. It is by the cross of Jesus...That ends the bondage of flesh!

Pray and meditate always!

mark