HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
Today’s scriptures are about working with the Lord to stay away from evil. The bible teaches us that God will deliver us from evil; all we have to do is ask. However, we must be open to Him, in order to honestly be delivered from evil. One of today’s scriptures says: The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matt. 26:41) We’re taught that Jesus offers us freedom, but what exactly are we being freed from? We’re being freed from the penalties and bondage of sin. The flesh is a major part of that bondage, and before we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’re a slave to it–our every waking moment is spent trying to please the flesh. There are plenty of Christians who are still slaves to their flesh–it’s like the gate has been opened to allow them to roam free, but they stay in the cage.
I think the Apostle Paul said it best when he wrote: So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal. 5:16 NIV) So you see if we allow the Spirit to lead us, then we’ll be able to easily overcome the temptations of the flesh. However, if we’re trying to keep up with what’s hip and happening, and do what the world does, we’ll fall short every time, because “worldly” people, live by the flesh. If we’re seeking pleasure all the time, then we’ll allow the flesh to lead.
Jesus once said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) What do you think He meant when He said “let him deny himself”? If we want to follow Christ, we can’t very well give into our flesh, it’s a conflict of interest, or an oxymoron (we can’t have a “Holy flesh”). Jesus said we must turn away from our “flesh pleasing” way of life, take up our cross and follow Him. See when Jesus took up His cross, He was going to Calvary to give up His life for us. So we must take up our cross, and be prepared to give up our “worldly” life for Him. It’s not a death sentence for us, but it’s actually a life sentence. When we make a commitment to follow the Lord, and focus on what He has for us, then we’ll go on to live in victory. Jesus is the better choice, because pleasing the flesh often leaves us hung over and empty. However, denying ourselves and following Him, gives us fulfillment, peace, joy, and happiness, all the days of our life. Hallelujah!
If we want God’s best in our life, then we must allow Him to deliver us from evil. Some of us pray that every day in the Lord’s Prayer, but we don’t know how to surrender to Him. We must understand that being a Christian is not just a title, but it’s a way of life. We must be aware of His presence and seek His guidance with each step. It’s very important to surround ourselves with positivity, and the Word of God, so we can stay in touch with Him. We can’t expect to grow in our Spirit, and never pray, read the bible, listen to gospel music, or watch any TV or online ministries. These are ways to ensure that we’re always feeding our Spirit. You better believe that when we’re listening to secular music, or watching something raunchy on TV, we’re feeding our flesh, and those desires become stronger, and more attractive. The law “you reap what you sow” applies to everything.
I’m a strong advocate in the fact that life is what you make it–you get out of it, exactly what you put into it. Jesus never promised to wave a magic wand and make it all better, but He challenged us to take up our cross and follow Him. Being delivered from evil has to be something that we really want, and following Jesus frees us from evil’s reign over our life. We cannot serve man and God; it just doesn’t work that way. If you’re a Christian, but truly feel like you’re a slave to the flesh, then you haven’t taken up your cross yet. Start by learning who Jesus was as a man, and who He is as our Lord and Savior. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, then you’ll need to start by inviting Him into your life. Once you do that, you can pray and ask God for deliverance, in Jesus’ Name, and He’ll give you freedom. For more information, please take a few minutes to take the God Quiz right now. My favorite verses today are: Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30-7-9)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455595&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/Broadcast/
I love you!
No comments:
Post a Comment