Secret Sin

But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. (Joshua 7:1)

The defeat of AI was the cause by Achan’s sin. This passage provided a detailed account of the desires of a man’s heart, and how it can endanger the welfare of his relationship with God, his family’s well-being, and harm to his entire nation. It showed the exposure of secret sin, and the consequences were fatal.

However, before I judge Achan, I confess that this is true in my own life. Before I came to the Colony, I was enjoyed some time clean, started go to church and so on. One night I decided to celebrate this accomplishment, I thought, “with everyone sleep it would be harmless.” I reasoned to myself: I have my own money, my own time, and I can separate my sin from my loved ones. I returned to my own vomit, and go figure, it was a disaster. I was staying with my sister at the time, and when I returned home, my 13-year-old nephew informed me that his mom, my sister, had been up all night crying and worrying about my well-being.

There is both a lesson and a warning in this passage of scripture and my story. The direction and commands of God are communicated clearly to the believer. Even with the grace that Jesus brings, our reverence for God should warn us of desiring any substitute idols (sin). Believers ought to take heed of secret sin, knowing they not only affect themselves, but also the ones most close to them. Working in addictions ministry, we see the catastrophic effects on the families and friends because of one person’s sin, so I understand this concept. There are grave consequences for sin, and like Achan we all have a choice to either except the ways of God or gratify our sinful desires. – Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 16-17

Think About This:Strengthen yourself in the Omnipotence of God. Do not say, “Is God able?” Say rather, “God is able.” Andrew Murray

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be sober, be vigilant; becauseyour adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

Broken To Be Given

Then He commanded the multitudes to sit on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples to the multitudes. (Matthew 14: 19)

On Sunday morning, July 26, 2009, I stood in the pulpit at the Colony of Mercy Chapel at America’s Keswick with my Bible opened to Matthew 14: 13-21 and a bottle of Pepto Bismol ® in my hand . I can remember the morning as though it were yesterday, because I knew most of the people in the audience that day could identify with what I was about to say.

I read the passage of Scripture and then I held up the well-known bottle of pink medicine and read from the label, Shake well before using.

The stage is set! Herod had just murdered John the Baptist. Jesus was grieving the death of His cousin, friend and forerunner. In His grief, Jesus withdrew to a place of solitude and rest. However, He found Himself surrounded by 5000 (when women and children were added to the number, since only the men were counted, the number could have been around 20,000 people). The disciples wanted to send the people home. Jesus instructed the disciples to give the people something to eat. The disciples informed Jesus that they did not have the resources to feed so many people.

Do you ever feel that the demands upon your life surpass your ability to meet those demands? Two facts faced the disciples: 1) They were overwhelmed by the enormity of the need. Almost 20,000 hungry people stood before them waiting to be fed. 2) They were overwhelmed by the inadequacy on their part to meet the need.

In John 6:9, we learn that Andrew found a lad in the crowd who had five loaves and two fish. However, what good was this small portion when so many needed to be fed? The miracle occurred in verse 19, when Jesus broke and gave.

A great lesson is taught here. It is not our strength that the Lord needs, it is our brokenness. A.W. Tozer once said, “It is doubtful that God will use a man greatly, until He has hurt him deeply.”

Shake well before using. Are you ready to be broken in order to be used by the Master? Dr. Roger D. Willmore is Senior Pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church and will be speaking this summer at America’s Keswick, July 20-25, 2014 with Dr. Dino Pedrone.

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 5590-5617).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 13-15

Think About This:Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!George Whitefield

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

 

 

A Warrior Worth His Salt

On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. I Myself have commanded My consecrated ones, and have summoned My mighty men to execute My anger, My proudly exulting ones. The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.
~ from Isaiah 13

Oh beloved, it is true. We are in a grim battle. The bitter wraiths, who in ages past, aligned themselves with the liar, are arrayed against us. They, like us, know that their doom is sure. But the process towards seeing the Day when peace is put into place is still underway. And until that Day, the ones who have reckoned true the truth that they are set apart unto their L_RD and King, will be in hot contact with a vicious foe.

And in battle,
Our knees are weak from marching
Our hands are shaking from combat
Our eyes leak tears from loss
Our skin is dry from years in the field
Our feet hurt from the miles
Our shoulders ache from the load
Our back is tight from the lifting
Our mind is tired from the battle inside
Our arms almost droop from the wielding of the sword
Our hearts are nearly broken from the failures we experience.

Regardless, we, you and i beloved warriors, are the ones G_d has consecrated to change the world. We, the fools and failures and sinners and sickly losers and ragamuffins – made whole in Him – are the ones the Mighty One is using to manifest His infinite strength in the world.

And sometimes we get so tired. And this is very good news.

We get so tired, that we finally remember that we are but salt and light to be spread amongst the darkness. We are but elements and vessels and weapons and instruments of His righteousness. And it is in re-reckoning true our own weakness that the Power so mightily at work within us begins to flow.

Our weak knees crash to floor as we crash boldly into His presence, and receive the grace and mercy we so desperately need.

Our shaking hands are raised empty that He might hand us – with His own Hand – the very riches we need to continue the battle.

Our clouded, teary eyes tear themselves away from the battle and look to their Captain for guidance.

Our dry skin is soothed by the oil of His Spirit, which works completely into our inner man and renews us.

Our hurting feet begin to dance as we see the path He has set before us is perfectly graded, and going in just the right direction.

Our aching shoulders suddenly feel relief as we – once again – shoulder only the load He has fit for us.

Our back turns free as we put down the burdens He never intended us to carry in the first place.

Our mind is renewed with wisdom as we put it back in its place – that being subservient to the spirit, and surrendered in fear of Him.

Our arms are strengthened as they are raised in praise and worship. And they swing free as we allow the Sword of the Spirit to simply do Its own work.

And our hearts are now full of Him and Love and Hope and Courage and Joy and Strength and the Knowing that all is well in Him.

Can we see it? The L_RD is the One mustering His host. Oh yes, we will fight. But the battle is the L_RD’s. And any warrior worth his salt knows that he is nothing against the powers of evil and darkness in heavenly places. Any warrior knows he must fight with strength that is nearly infinitely beyond His own. But once that warrior concedes this truth, there is no stopping him. He willing most surely win.

So, are you in a fight? Good. Victory is His. Will you let Him give it to you as well?

Tonight is your night beloved. Time to start winning the fight.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 11-12

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

but you ain’t his children

^“They answered Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.” John 8:39-40 (ESV)

Today I make this declaration to you. Kevin and Karen Hughes are my children and I love them both dearly and equally BUT I’m not so sure that makes them a Freedom Fighter contributor. Now don’t get me wrong, YHVH can do what He chooses with them and give them the ability to surpass me in the field of writing BUT just because they are my kids doesn’t mean you’re gonna see the same style or flare from them that you do from me. Now maybe down the line of time someone will approach them and say “Aren’t you Chris Hughes’ child?” and with their reply of “yes” it is my hope that it is because they are a light on a nightstand that is being seen first!

However, the Jews of Jesus’ time weren’t exactly shining the same light that Abraham did. In the 8^th chapter of John’s Gospel we find a dialogue happening between Jesus and the Pharisees about them being in the lineage of Abraham. They thought because they were in physical descent with Abraham that surely they received his spiritual succession. And while they proudly boasted in this Jesus tells them that ain’t the case. Jesus was quite clear about this one thing, you might be his seed…but you ain’t his children. And with that Jesus (as Tozer put it) “quietly ruled them out of the Abrahamic covenant.” Wow!! So all that Abraham had, they took for granted, they had…hmmm.

But what about us? We don’t have to worry about that Abrahamic thingy do we? Well, we have a New Covenant in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, so if those Jews foolishly counted their physical descent as their spiritual succession, then surely under that New Covenant we evangelicals should get to count our creedal descent from The Apostles as our spiritual succession, right? After all, we believe the same things that Peter believes; we believe the same things Paul believes; we believe the same thing John believes; even what the writer of Hebrews believes BUT guess what beloved. You might their seed…but you ain’t their children IF you assume because of creedal descent you are in spiritual succession.

I think we can basically call the assumption of physical/creedal descent as our spiritual succession “Identity Theft”. Those Pharisees strutted around wearing Abraham as if it were a fashion statement and all they were doing was saying they have an Abraham but never really counting the cost of an Abraham. And this is happening with Jesus Christ in our times. We wear our Jesus as designed by Paul; we wear our Jesus as designed by Peter; we wear our Jesus as designed by John BUT we never really count the cost, like they had they to. Those men didn’t just wear Jesus, their lives reflected Jesus, because they weren’t just the seed of Jesus…they were His children.

Don’t take for granted, brothers (and sisters) that because you’ve been a pew warmer all your life you’re in right relationship. Don’t take it for granted because mom and dad were Christian, you get to wear their colors. Don’t take any of what Jesus Christ has done on your behave for granted…okay? And so, if down the road, you read a Freedom Fighter and it starts to sound like me but you find my son’s (or daughter’s) name at the end, well then Praise God. It will my hope that they have counted the cost and don’t just wear this as a fashion statement…’cos they may be my seed BUT they’re Jesus’ children. Amen? – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 4-7

Think About This:“There is only one real proof of spiritual succession from the apostles, the New Testament and the Church fathers: identity. If we can point to ourselves and say, “This,” and then point to the New Testament Church and say, “is that”, and make it stick, then we ought to be the happiest bunch of people in the world”—A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless

Encounter with God

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1, 2)

Typically, when we hear this verse we are reminded of the safeguard that comes when we cohabitate with a loving God. It speaks of the complete peace when we walk closely with our Savior, along with the confidence we embrace by trusting in Him. However, let’s journey through two additional scenarios as we make time to isolate time with God.

1. We are humbled

“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Time and again, when I devote time for personal fellowship with God, similar to Isaiah, I begin to see myself through the lens of His Holiness. I can quickly reason with tangible dutiful fruit like: I’m faithful at my job, I’m constantly doing ministry, I feed the needy, etc. But what are God’s thoughts on my conduct, my motives, my love toward Him and my fellow brother.  That’s where He shows me my heart, and how much I need him to do anything remotely good. Jesus says, “Without me you can do nothing.”

2. Another Upshot from intimacy with God is the reflection His Glory

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. (Exodus 34:29)

After Moses met with God he had a physical radiance in his countenance. When a believer is in perfect fellowship with God, his Spirit is refreshed, and there is a glow in our speech, there is a shine in our attitudes, there is a hope in our circumstances. We might not notice all the glory, but because of that intimate time with God we do realize that we are in His arms, and the peace that transcends all understanding is upon us. I recognize that quality time with God is life changing! – Juan Mendez is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 1-3

Think About This:It is the duty of the Christian scholar to look difficulties and objections squarely in the face. Nothing is to be gained by overlooking, evading or shrinking from them. Truth has no cause to fear scrutiny, however rigid and searching.John W Haley

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

EXAMINATION DAY

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties.” (Psalm 139:23)

We tend to dread exams. Some of us dreaded examination day at school.  Some of us dread going to the doctor and the dentist for our yearly exams.

The Bible encourages us to take the time to examine our lives. It would be good for us to make this a daily practice in our lives as we begin each day and before we lay our heads on the pillow. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to take time before we participate in the Lord’s Table to examine ourselves. (I Corinthians 11:28).

“Let us search and examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. Behold, You desire TRUTH in my inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

(Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 26:2; Psalm 56:1; Psalm 119:59-60; I Corinthians 11:28; I John 1:9; I John 2:1-2; Hebrews 10:19-22)

Examination is a good thing. Take some time today to examine your heart. Are you clean before Lord? He longs for you to have a clean heart!

Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 51-52

Think About This:We can never expect to grow in the likeness of our Lord unless we follow His example and give more time to communion with the Father. A revival of real praying would produce a spiritual revolution.(E. M.) Bounds

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Learning to Be Loved

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. ~ John, The Beloved Disciple, in 1 John 4

Oh beloved, it is true. We hear that we are loved, but we don’t (yet) really believe it. The crushing imposition of the circumstances swirling around us distract us from the Truth. And just when we think we feel it, the feeling flees off into the distance.

We freak out when we make a mistake.
We forecast people’s retribution towards us.
We feel the disorientation of not knowing our future.
We fret over the balance of our accounts.
We fuss under the pain of aging bodies.
We forget the places G_d has brought us out of.
We forsake our first Love and have an affair with fear.

Why do we do this?

Perhaps it is because we really do not understand the word: Love. For so many of us, love is but a fleeting fancy or an affection for something. Even if we are beginning to learn what it means, we always fall short because of the fickleness of our own fallen natures. And then… G_d tears the scales off our eyes.

God is Love.
God is Kind.
God does not change. Ever.

The Loving-kindness of G_d is simply who He is. It is an anchor for our spirit and soul and senses that can attach itself to any point in space or time, because He was, is, and will always be right there.

Can we see it? That the expanse of the entire universe was hung on the breath of a few words of the Creator; this we can almost comprehend. But, that the Great Love of the One who spoke these words is the power both pursuing and at work within us; this is beyond our human capability to grasp.

However, when we begin to get a sense of what this Love is, it drives us to our knees and makes us leap at the same time. This Love puts us at the very end of ourselves, and all we can do is scream out in our spirit the same words the burning ones around the throne do forever: Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.  For, this Loving-kindness, this “Chesed” defies any definition or constraint – and will take us forever to fully discover.

So, are you feeling fear beloved? It can be weird getting used to living in the bright light of His Loving Presence (and the absence of so many of the constraints we used to live under). But just as surely as there is confusion at first, there are deep and eternal answers that grow within us as His Word and Spirit go to work at leading us into all truth.  This Truth is that He is Love and has both infinite power and desire to impart His very Self unto us. And even further, He has promised that He will do it.

Would you live free?  Would you be Loved?  Tonight is the night beloved.  Let Him Love you. – Makala Doulos lives is Jakarta and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 32-34

Think About This:God completely understands every struggle that you have, and every weakness that you fear about yourself. In His great love for you He has set aside a place in His Beloved for you to enjoy and know His fullest affection.
~ Graham Cooke

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

 

Done To Them Is Done To Him!

“And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him.”  Matthew 27:29-31 (ESV)

Jak Werz and I are becoming more like “Brothers of Thunder” with each passing day. When Jak tells you “It’s all about God’s grace”, I’ll tell you “You need to understand God’s grace.” When Jak looks at a target he wants you to consider the possibilities, I’ll want you to focus in on the bulls eye. When Jak goes on vacation he heads to Florida, when I go on vacation I head to the mountains or Keswick. When Jak and I get together for coffee at Starbucks he gets regular coffee, I’ll get a coffee frappuccino, grande, with an extra shot of espresso and no whip. When Jak gave me Max Lucado’s “He Chose The Nails” to read I opened it…

Usually I get a good vibe when I read Lucado’s stuff but not this time, at least not while I was in chapter two. Even its title is hard to handle, “I Will Bear Your Dark Side…God’s Promise In The Soldiers’ Spit”. Never really took myself into the depth of this moment before The Crucifixion but I’m here now so I better examine it, and who better than Lucado to draw you in. “The scourging was commanded. The crucifixion was ordered. But who would draw pleasure out of spitting on a half-dead man? Spitting isn’t intended to hurt the body-it can’t. Spitting is intended to degrade the soul, and it does.” And those Roman soldiers made themselves feel big by making Jesus Christ look small.

Then the next question Lucado asks, “Ever done that?” And that doesn’t mean you have to spit on someone but it’s the other stuff that we do. Gossiping. Slandering. Rolling your eyes in arrogance. Basically it is making someone feel bad so you can feel good. At times I wonder if we disguise it by calling it giving good counsel or taking the hammer outta the hand of someone (because surely you’re the one who has been swinging the hammer since the wheel was invented) to show them how to drive a nail. Let me tell you something, Pilate thought he was giving Jesus good counsel and Roman soldiers loved to swing hammers.  So who are we fooling?

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.” (Matt 25:40) We can look at this passage of Scripture and say that we treat all members of the Kingdom with dignity but I think it goes farther than that. The key in here is “the least” and I reckon that means those without a saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ. John Gill would put it like this, “though he is not an apostle, or a martyr, or a preacher of the Gospel, or has any considerable gifts and abilities for usefulness, but is a weak believer in spiritual things, as well as poor in temporal things” Pretty covers the unsaved world around us don’t ya think?

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10) When you run this passage of Scripture through The Cross its whole meaning changes, doesn’t it? I don’t care how saved we think we are, we will have our moments where we roll our eyes. We will do what we hate to do, feel guilty that we didn’t do what we love to do and plea with our Savior to free us from this body of death. What the unsaved world needs from us is an acknowledgement that we too are one of “the least”. Amen? Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 30-31

Think About This:“Allow the spit of the soldiers to symbolize the filth in our hearts. And then observe what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to the Cross.”—Max Lucado

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Fighting for Freedom

When I considered the title of this devotional, I questioned, what are the freedoms for which we are fighting? I realized the answer differs depending on the individual. Some of us are fighting to be set free from addictions, others from the bondage of legalism, while others are simply fighting the things that hinder their productivity in their walks with the Lord. Whatever the case there a few things we must consider.

Typically, when we think of a fighter we assert a soldier, warrior, combatant, boxer, mercenary etc. Usually this person does not easily admit defeat in spite of difficulties or opposition. Likewise, in Kingdom work, we are called to fight the good fight of faith, and to be meek not weak. Let us observe three aspects of this fight.

Who are we fighting against, who is the enemy?

A good fighter knows his opponent and learns him well. The Bible is clear about who is the enemy, and fellas it’s not who you think! Hate to break the news it is not our wives, not our children, not our bosses, it is not our colleagues, not our pastors etc…

Paul is clear,

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

We have a deceitful, crafty enemy and he has been a thorn in humanity’s flesh for years. Learn your enemy!

Stand firm in the fight!

Living in an urban community, you are sometimes faced with realities that might impose potential danger. One night, I heard a knock at my door at 2:00 a.m. and without hesitation I jumped up and ran to the door ready for combat. Thank God it was not as bad as it could have been; a false alarm. But I knew that night that there was nothing on the face of this earth that I wouldn’t try to do protect my family. However, the bigger question remained: will I fight myown selfishness, unrighteous anger, bad attitude, issues, carelessness, and the like in order to protect them from myself…Stand firm!

What are we fighting for?

“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love ,perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

 

To be effective witnesses for Christ, our testimonies ought to represent new life, and not just life in the present, but eternal life. This is our reasonable service to finish the work that Christ began in us. We have an eternal rest in knowing that we are fighting the good fight, and when get to a place in the fight when our sole purpose is to honor God with our lives that is true victory. Fight on Freedom Fighters! Juan Mendez serves full-time at America’s Keswick and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. He is a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 26-29

Think About This:The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own.Charles Haddon Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Live, Die Repeat

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, But the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10

I heard this phrase, “Live, Die Repeat” in a commercial for a movie today and it made me think.

Live

I sometimes find myself “going back to the drawing board”. It seems that life cycles run in such a way that just when I think I’ve got it figured out I find myself asking, “What happened”?

It’s when I get to a place of self-reliance that I’m reminded of the verse “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1^st Corinth 10:12).

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he instructs us to “Walk in the Spirit”. Too many times I see believers become over confident in the things of the flesh. This road usually starts with walking in the Spirit and dying to self which the Bible teaches is the way to life. So, we have this cycle of “Live, Die repeat”.

It’s as if we get this new lease on life thru death. Verse 13 tells us,” For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live”.

I wonder what it takes to continue to do what Paul says in Galatians “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”. What are the things that we allow to cause us to retreat to the flesh?

For me it’s relationships, I can have a hard time with the way we treat each other. I need the Lord to reel me in because as soon as I begin to “Live” I tend to allow myself to be drawn away and then I have to “Die” and often “Repeat”.

I love the formula in Psalm 37 verses 3-5,

Trust – “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness”

Delight -“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Commit –” Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

Join me this morning as we start our day off asking the Lord to give us the grace and mercy needed for today. And tomorrow, REPEAT! Rob Russoma serves full-time at America’s Keswick and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 23-25

Think About This: Grace does not demonize our desires nor destroy them nor lead us to deny them. Grace is the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming our desires so that knowing Jesus becomes sweeter than illicit sex, sweeter than money and what it can buy, sweeter than every fruitless joy. Grace is God satisfying our souls with His Son so that we’re ruined for anything else! Samuel Storms

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12