Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, my God and Creator, my source of strength and provision, lover of man’s soul…I come to you today to pray on behalf of my country, my home, and the people who make up this nation. Oh how we need your help! Please have mercy upon us. I’m sorry for my failures and ashamed of the sins of this nation. May all that is good and every person who is called by your name bow before you in repentance and rise up to follow you as shining lights and examples of your love. May we live godly lives and be pleasing to you. May we look to you for our answers, for our help, for guidance. May we lift up the name of Jesus and proclaim his saving grace. I pray for our nation’s leaders, that they will seek your face and make their decisions based on biblical values and that you will protect them in their daily lives and often overwhelming duties. I pray for our Christian leaders, that they will receive wisdom and anointing for the day as you give them power and protection from harm and evil. I pray for families, that they would pull together and support one another—with Christ at the center. I pray for individuals, that we each will take responsibility for our thoughts and actions, that we may allow you to minister to others through us and do great and mighty things according to your will. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). May we stand together as your children. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Second Step to Holiness
In the first step I saw that repentance, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit, made me aware of the magnitude, wickedness and folly of my ways. Then I gladly turned to Christ for forgiveness and He graciously responded with love and irrevocable forgiveness. This is redemption, for He paid the price of my sin by shedding His blood on the cross for me. I am then saved. Hallelujah!
The second step is the submission of my will to God’s will. Paul talks about this in Romans 7
: 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.
Paul realizes something is wrong, he cannot do what he knows he ought to do and he does what he knows he shouldn’t do, and he cries our as many of us have:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
His own will is dominant so he does what he wants instead of what he knows he should do. But he knows who has the answer: I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
So if our will is not surrendered to the will of God we are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit!
Jesus not only died on the cross to forgive our sins, but, sent the Holy Spirit as my counselor and guide with power to tame my will and let me submit (surrender) to the will of God.
We see this also in chapter 6: 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know Sin is death to the sinner, but here he is talking about the Christian who still sins because he has not surrendered his will to God’s will. But we can be made free in Christ. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Hallelujah!
Don’t be deceived, there are those who think this verse means God won’t condemn us if we do sin. They don’t read the rest of the verse. It says “who do not walk according to the flesh!
In the first step I saw that repentance, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit, made me aware of the magnitude, wickedness and folly of my ways. Then I gladly turned to Christ for forgiveness and He graciously responded with love and irrevocable forgiveness. This is redemption, for He paid the price of my sin by shedding His blood on the cross for me. I am then saved. Hallelujah!
The second step is the submission of my will to God’s will. Paul talks about this in Romans 7
: 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.
Paul realizes something is wrong, he cannot do what he knows he ought to do and he does what he knows he shouldn’t do, and he cries our as many of us have:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
His own will is dominant so he does what he wants instead of what he knows he should do. But he knows who has the answer: I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
So if our will is not surrendered to the will of God we are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit!
Jesus not only died on the cross to forgive our sins, but, sent the Holy Spirit as my counselor and guide with power to tame my will and let me submit (surrender) to the will of God.
We see this also in chapter 6: 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know Sin is death to the sinner, but here he is talking about the Christian who still sins because he has not surrendered his will to God’s will. But we can be made free in Christ. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Hallelujah!
Don’t be deceived, there are those who think this verse means God won’t condemn us if we do sin. They don’t read the rest of the verse. It says “who do not walk according to the flesh!
Friday, April 3, 2009
We Were Bought With a Price !
We were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus; therefore I will glorify God in my body and spirit, which are God's.
I will not use any part of me to do my own will but allow God to have his will in all my life.
I not let Satan or sin to possess, barrow or pollute my body, mind or heart, for I am God's.
Jesus is mine; the Holy Spirit is in control of every thought, act and relationship.
God is love. I Know God, He knows me; therefore agape love will be my aim and attitude.
Christ accepted me, and I accepted Him. I'll not allow any division or separation from Him.
This is my commitment to Him, for he gave his life for me, and His Spirit to me. Amen.
I will not use any part of me to do my own will but allow God to have his will in all my life.
I not let Satan or sin to possess, barrow or pollute my body, mind or heart, for I am God's.
Jesus is mine; the Holy Spirit is in control of every thought, act and relationship.
God is love. I Know God, He knows me; therefore agape love will be my aim and attitude.
Christ accepted me, and I accepted Him. I'll not allow any division or separation from Him.
This is my commitment to Him, for he gave his life for me, and His Spirit to me. Amen.
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