Break Free.
Break free from your desires.
Break free from the lures of the world.
Break free from your addictions.
Taste and See.
Taste the love of God and see how easy it is to love.
Taste the mercy of the Lord and see yourself as He does.
Taste the forgiveness of the LORD and see how your hurts of years past melt away.
Taste the grace of YHWH and see how little else matters.
Taste the sacrifice of the Saviour and see how you long to live your life
completely,
wholly,
unconditionally,
passionately,
fully,
for the ONE Who gave all for you.
We each have one life.
One life given to us freely.
One life we can spend any way we choose.
One life to live for our LORD,
our God
our King
our Creator
our Saviour.
How are you living your life today?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Of Frogs and Butterflies...
I really enjoy when what I am studying personally comes up in other areas of my life. This week for example, I have been studying about being a new creature in Christ. The Sunday lesson is on being set apart or consecrated unto God. To do this, we need to be transformed - changed - renewed! The children’s devotional this morning centered around that very point!
Frogs and butterflies are amazing creatures. To witness an inching, fuzzy, leaf-munching worm, knowing it will one day fly daintily through the air, sipping nectar from dazzling fragrant flowers is an amazing thought. Frogs are no less amazing, though perhaps less romantic due to their slimy, croaking nature.
The children and I read today that a tadpole is able to change from a water-dwelling, gill-breathing, plant-eating creature to a land-loving, insect-devouring, lung-breathing amphibian. The change is made possible by the energy stored in the tail. But what would happen if the frog-to-be stopped growing? What if he stopped being changed into the new creature he was intended to be?
He would die.
As Christians we are called to be “...transformed by the renewing of {our} minds...” But what if somewhere along the way we stop that metamorphosis? What if we stop becoming what we were made to become?
Like the frog, we too would die.
Not a physical death, but a spiritual death.
We need to daily die to the old self. We need to moment-by-moment take our thoughts captive. We need to remove the garbage in our lives and then replace it with the regenerating Word of God. We need to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God while the day is still called “today”. Greatly anticipating that unknown hour when our Savior will return and in a twinkling of the eye we shall be changed!
Frogs and butterflies are amazing creatures. To witness an inching, fuzzy, leaf-munching worm, knowing it will one day fly daintily through the air, sipping nectar from dazzling fragrant flowers is an amazing thought. Frogs are no less amazing, though perhaps less romantic due to their slimy, croaking nature.
The children and I read today that a tadpole is able to change from a water-dwelling, gill-breathing, plant-eating creature to a land-loving, insect-devouring, lung-breathing amphibian. The change is made possible by the energy stored in the tail. But what would happen if the frog-to-be stopped growing? What if he stopped being changed into the new creature he was intended to be?
He would die.
As Christians we are called to be “...transformed by the renewing of {our} minds...” But what if somewhere along the way we stop that metamorphosis? What if we stop becoming what we were made to become?
Like the frog, we too would die.
Not a physical death, but a spiritual death.
We need to daily die to the old self. We need to moment-by-moment take our thoughts captive. We need to remove the garbage in our lives and then replace it with the regenerating Word of God. We need to present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God while the day is still called “today”. Greatly anticipating that unknown hour when our Savior will return and in a twinkling of the eye we shall be changed!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Prepared?
The air is cool and crisp - quiet, yet not peaceful. A tension fills the air that one can taste. Mumblings arise from temporary dwellings. Those who have stayed awake all night keeping watch are relieved as the sound of a trumpet pierces the void of the eerie quiet.
We are on a battlefield. Each person knows his or her station. Each one purposefully fulfills his or her duty. Each knows that to be off guard is to leave room for the enemy to advance. Each trains longing to be prepared in season and out.
You too are on a battlefield. If you have recognized that your life belongs to God and have surrendered you are on the winning side. But what we battle against is not flesh and blood but spiritual...
When we stay up all night is it in battle waging war with prayer...
Or is it to watch a movie?
When we scour around for that last penny is to buy our favorite drink...
Or is it to support someone on the frontlines?
When we awake in the morning is it with a sense of purpose...
Or do we wander about unaware of the danger around us?
If you belong to the LORD, you awoke this morning on a battlefield. If you have surrendered all to the LORD of the Universe then you will come under attack today from a crafty, cunning, conniving enemy. If you desire a life lived out in holiness - separated unto GOD - then you will struggle this day and the next, and the next, with this enemy until you are called Home. Your flesh will long for one side of the battle but your spirit will remain steadfast in the other.
But praise God! He has not left us orphaned. He has not left us unprepared. He has already promised us the victory! He has promised to be our strength! He is our victory song! He has not dropped us into enemy territory and abandoned us but He has given us armor. Mighty armor to use in battle. It is our job to put it on...
Are you ready for battle?
Ephesians 6:10-20 (New King James Version)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
We are on a battlefield. Each person knows his or her station. Each one purposefully fulfills his or her duty. Each knows that to be off guard is to leave room for the enemy to advance. Each trains longing to be prepared in season and out.
You too are on a battlefield. If you have recognized that your life belongs to God and have surrendered you are on the winning side. But what we battle against is not flesh and blood but spiritual...
When we stay up all night is it in battle waging war with prayer...
Or is it to watch a movie?
When we scour around for that last penny is to buy our favorite drink...
Or is it to support someone on the frontlines?
When we awake in the morning is it with a sense of purpose...
Or do we wander about unaware of the danger around us?
If you belong to the LORD, you awoke this morning on a battlefield. If you have surrendered all to the LORD of the Universe then you will come under attack today from a crafty, cunning, conniving enemy. If you desire a life lived out in holiness - separated unto GOD - then you will struggle this day and the next, and the next, with this enemy until you are called Home. Your flesh will long for one side of the battle but your spirit will remain steadfast in the other.
But praise God! He has not left us orphaned. He has not left us unprepared. He has already promised us the victory! He has promised to be our strength! He is our victory song! He has not dropped us into enemy territory and abandoned us but He has given us armor. Mighty armor to use in battle. It is our job to put it on...
Are you ready for battle?
Ephesians 6:10-20 (New King James Version)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
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