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Deny yourself and Follow me

4/26/2015

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

Deny yourself. This statement continues to surface this week in my daily devotions, bible study and even as I tune in to radio programs. God uses any and all means to get His point across. So what does it mean to deny myself?

After accepting Christ, there are obvious things we walk away from. We turn from old activities and even old friends in order to keep fleshly desires at bay. Denying ourselves pleasures and comforts that we know are not in line with God’s will is just part of our journey. God enables us to do so. He promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that” No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” He is awesome that way.

But what I am hearing this time is different. He is telling me ....

·         Deny yourself the right to complain.

·         Deny yourself the desire to be in control.

·         Deny yourself the liberty to spout off your opinion.

·         Deny yourself the freedom to criticize.

Okay, God, I hear you! Loud and clear! But, oh my goodness, these are even harder than the big things!

Despite the negative sound of the word “deny,” denying ourselves any and all of these things is anything but. It produces peace and allows God to do great works in our lives. When we let go of our agendas and emotions, amazing things happen. So, deny and accept. Die to self and live. And just wait and see how God uses you and me to further His kingdom.

Prayer: Father God, help me to seek your will and not my own in all that I say and do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

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Be Kind

4/21/2015

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Love is patient; love is KIND. I don’t promote kindness in my home nearly enough. Sure, I repeatedly say, “Be nice.” But being kind is biblical, and I have only lately deliberately put it that way to my kids. Recently, a brawl resulted from an otherwise civil game of backyard baseball. Feelings were hurt and unfortunately, so were bodies, as this brouhaha was straight from a PPV UFC championship fight! Ugh! Well, after my initial yelling to restore order, I called a meeting. There in the bedroom, I read them a devotion on kindness and prayed a prayer with them. I felt peace and closure, and while they still lost their devices for a time, the punishment was accompanied by a real reason from God’s word. That lesson will impact them in the future even more that the loss of privileges. I am thankful for the Bible, my resource book and my peace. God instruction in Deuteronomy 6 illustrates the importance of obeying His commandments and then teaching them to our children…

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Praying for a peaceful day, but looking forward to more teaching moments. Children are a blessing from the Lord, and boy would I be lost without them!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for parents today who are struggling with disciplining their children. May they first turn to You and Your Word and gain peace as they correct and mold them to grow in love for each other and for You. This I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11
I've attached a little parenting humor in the Tim Hawkin's video below...love him! :)

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My Reflection-Who am I?

4/13/2015

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How many of you looked into a mirror today? I think it’s safe to say that all of us did, probably more than once. We check our hair, our make-up, the bags under our eyes…Oh, wait, maybe that’s only me! We definitely do the famous “butt check” as we pirouette in front of the mirror. We may even change our clothes several times before we leave the house. Looking acceptable before we go into public is probably a good idea, but obsessing over our reflections- definitely not. We hear sermons all the time reminding us of the Good News….telling of how God sent His only son, Jesus to live among us. Both God and man, He died a painful death, carried our sins upon Him and rose from the dead so that we too may live eternally with Him in heaven. There is no better feeling of freedom than when we accept this gift and are released from our sin burden.

So why then, even after receiving Jesus, do we still live in the bondage of self-condemnation? We may not even realize the extent to which we label ourselves and beat ourselves up. We listen to the lies fed to us by the world and by Satan.

•             We are NOT our mistakes.

•             We are NOT what we do.

•             We are NOT what we have or don’t have.
The labels I attached to myself over the years such as poor, fatherless, ashamed, dysfunctional, promiscuous, addict, insecure,guilty, lonely, rebellious, hypocrite, adulteress, bad mom and crazy, distorted and even completely blocked out my true identity. So when I looked at myself, that was who I saw. But God was seeing me as a child of His. He never saw me any other way. I had believed my own interpretation of myself. God’s word says in Psalm 139:13“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb" Once I really began to believe God, I could see that, in His Word, He outlines very specifically who I am. What a revelation. Talk about an “I was blind but now I see!” moment. As I look back over the labels that I have attached to myself, I now have ammunition in scripture to shoot down the falsehoods.

Hebrews 13:5-6 debunks the labels of POOR and ASHAMED given to me by my young peers. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
I no longer feel that being fatherless means I have no father, because Ephesians 1:5 tells me that He predestined us for adoption as sons through Christ Jesus, according to the purpose of his will.
In Isaiah 41:10, God promises “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. I no longer need to feel lonely and abandoned.
When I am feeling damaged I find solace in 1 PETER 2:24 which says, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
The addicted adulterer can rest assured knowing that according to Colossians 1:13,He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Ephesians 1:7 makes it clear that even the guilty and unequally yoked have redemption in Him through his blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
2 Corinthians 5:20 speaks to me.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. There is hope for even the hypocrite who took her focus from God.
When I feel as though I failed as a mother and a wife, Romans 8:37 says , No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
And finally, the crazy lady label. This one requires a little more frequent reminding!! 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

So now, what do I see?!

1.            I see that my past does not define me!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has        passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

2.            I am wonderfully made!
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:14

3.            I am an overcomer.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”John 16:33

4.            My future is secure!
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a]and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

5.            I am redeemed!
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— Galatians 3:13
As my relationship with Christ grows, and I learn more about the sovereignty of God, I take comfort knowing that God had his reasons for taking my dad so young. I know that, even though I was promiscuous, used drugs, divorced, and made a multitude of awful decisions, God never viewed me as those things. He was patiently waiting for me to repent and turn to him.
His love has allowed me to heal from my mistakes over the years by his forgiveness of my sins. I know exactly who I am. I am from God, and greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. I am holy and without blame. I am alive with Christ!

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Jesus Paid It All

4/3/2015

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I don't know where I would be without my Jesus. Over the years, he has become my superhero, the person sung about in the country love songs you can't live without and my best friend all rolled into one. My love for Him is only surpassed by His love for me. I will never be good enough on my own. But through Him and by His sacrifice, I am redeemed ,set free and adopted! If you don't know Jesus as your savior, simply recognize that you are a sinful person. We all are! Ask Him to forgive you, and then turn from your sins. Ask Him into your heart. You do not have to clean yourself up to ask for forgiveness. He meets you where you are. The cleaning up is His specialty! Trust Him. Follow Him. Praise Him.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the saving grace poured out by the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ. He made atonement for our sins- past,present and future. May we all accept this free gift and live forever with you in the heavenly kingdom. It is in the name of Jesus, I pray. AMEN

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Deny yourself and Follow me

Be Kind

My Reflection-Who am I?

Jesus Paid It All

Terri Moore

My loves!

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