ARE YOU GROWING SPIRITUALLY? (2) :
'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' Galatians 6:2 NKJV
Paul writes, 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' You must take responsibility for your own spiritual growth, because until you learn to carry your own burdens you won't be able to help others carry theirs. Remember the old Hollies' song, He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother? Instead of always having to be lifted, God wants you to lift others. Instead of always having to be prayed for, God wants you to pray for others. Instead of always needing to receive, you should be able to give. Why is it 'more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35 NKJV)? Because in receiving, the process ends with you. But in giving, you activate the law of reciprocity. Paul says: 'Every one must make up his own mind as to how much he should give... cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others... Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much... Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine.' (2 Corinthians 9:7-13 TLB) When you're all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. It's when you open up and reach out in love to others that you begin to grow spiritually.
LET ME BE SINGING
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. —Psalm 150:6
When I asked a friend how his mother was getting along, he told me that dementia had robbed her of the ability to remember a great many names and events from the past. “Even so,” he added, “she can still sit down at the piano and, without sheet music, beautifully play hymns by memory.”
Plato and Aristotle wrote about the helping, healing power of music 2,500 years ago. But centuries before that, the biblical record was saturated with song.
From the first mention of Jubal, “the father of all those who play the harp and flute” (Gen. 4:21), to those who “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God and the song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3), the pages of the Bible resonate with music. The Psalms, often called “the Bible’s songbook,” point us to the love and faithfulness of God. They conclude with an unending call to worship, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 150:6).
Today we need God’s ministry of music in our hearts as much as any time in history. Whatever each day brings, may the evening find us singing, “To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy” (59:17).
Lord, I don’t know what will come this day or farther into the future, but I’m grateful that You’re by my side. Grant me a spirit of praise and thanksgiving in whatever lies ahead.
Praise to God comes naturally when you count your blessings.
REST IS GIFT FROM GOD
… TAKE TIME TO RECEIVE IT TODAY !!!
I have a friend who has a great husband and three beautiful children. She is a wonderful wife and mother, always investing in family and doing things for them. However, she told me that she always feels so guilty when she takes time away tojust get her hair or nails done. She feels like she has to rush to get back and tend to her family. She told me one time, “I just sit in the chair at the salon tapping my feet nervously, counting the minutes. I just can’t seem to relax. I feel like I don’t have time to take care of myself because there is so much that needs to be done.”
Do you ever feel that way? The truth is that my friend’s husband and children probably want her to take time for herself, knowing that when she is refreshed she can be her best.
We all have a life list of to do’s either written down or in the back of our minds. Don’t fall into the trap of forgetting to put yourself on the list. That’s not balance; it’s not healthy. You are important, and you need to take time to rest and do things for yourself. That means you have to do things to relax—read, play golf, take a bubble bath—even if you have to schedule thirty minutes of “me time” into your daily planner. Sometimes just taking a walk in the park and looking at the birds or taking in some fresh air is enough to rejuvenate us. Maybe you need to kick back under a tree and enjoy an ice cream cone. Whatever it is that refreshes and refocuses you is a good investment of your time.
But did you know that rest is actually a spiritual principle? God Himself showed us a pattern of working and resting in the book of Genesis. If God worked and then chose to take a day of rest, we certainly all need to stop working and take time to rest! Always remember that rest is a gift from God, so take time to receive it today!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NIV)
UNDER PRESSURE? PLANT!
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7
If you feel like you're under pressure these days, you're not alone. Satan is putting more pressure on more people right now than ever before. He's pressuring us mentally, financially, emotionally and every other way he can. The pressure has gotten so great everywhere that governments don't know what to do. Businesses don't know what to do. Families don't know. Churches don't know.
But, praise God, Jesus does! He says we can give our way right out from under any pressure the devil brings to bear.
Giving is always Jesus' way out. Whenever there's a need, He plants seed! In fact, in Mark 4, He compares the entire kingdom of God to a seed. Just think about the importance of seeds for a moment. Every living thing on this earth came from a seed. You came from a seed. Then you were born again from the seed of God's Word. Jesus Himself was The Seed planted by God. God sowed Him in sacrifice. He came forth and grew up into many brethren.
So, when Satan puts you under pressure, go to Jesus and let Him tell you how and where to plant. If you'll do it, that seed will grow up until it breaks the powers of darkness and lack. It will release you from the pressure the devil's been putting on you.
I've seen it happen. When Jerry Savelle first began to work for my ministry, he didn't have but one suit of clothes and one shirt with a pair of slacks to his name. He wore one, then the other, night after night to every service we held. He didn't have the money to even think about buying another suit. I'm telling you, he was under pressure where clothes were concerned!
Then he found out about the principle of seed-faith and harvest. So, he went downtown in the city where we were in a meeting and found a fellow on the street who needed clothes and gave him some. Immediately people started giving Jerry clothes. It started in that meeting and they've been doing it ever since. Today, there are many preachers in Africa wearing Jerry Savelle suits! He's still sowing and reaping the greatest clothes harvest I've ever seen.
If the devil's pressuring you, don't panic...plant! Plant your time. Plant your money. Plant the clothes off your back. When your harvest comes in, you can laugh and say, "Hey, Devil, who's feeling the pressure now?"
TOTAL AND COMPLETE FORGIVENESS :
Ephesians 1:7- In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
People have said to me, “Pastor, I was taught that only my past sins—from the day I was born until the day I became a Christian—have been forgiven, and that my future sins are not forgiven until I confess them and seek forgiveness.”
My friend, when Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins were future?
Unless you are more than 2,000 years old, all your sins were future then! Jesus took them all upon Himself, nailed them to the cross and declared, “It is finished!” So if you are not forgiven of all, then you are not forgiven at all.
“You mean Jesus also died for the sin that I have just committed?”
Yes!
“And also for the sins which I will commit?”
Yes! That is why He said, “It is finished!”
But many of us are inconsistent in our believing. One part of us says, “God has forgiven me of all my sins.” But another part says, “Yes, but I must still confess my sins to be forgiven of them.” Are you like that?
Beloved, you are forgiven not because of your work of confession. Your confession cannot wash away your sins. You are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus shed for you. His blood alone cleanses you.
You cannot believe that you are forgiven of your past, present and future sins, and still think that there is something for you to do to make that forgiveness complete. If you do, then it becomes your work too, not Jesus’ alone.
Is there a place for confession of sins? My friend, if you have just sinned, you can always tell God about it without feeling condemned because you know that you already have forgiveness and that Jesus was condemned in your place. But you don’t confess your sins to God in order to be forgiven. You already have total and complete forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus!
Thought For The Day :
You are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus shed for you. It is His blood alone that cleanses you.
FORGO FLATTERY, EXALT JESUS
You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. - Psalm 118:28
When the apostle Paul and Silas were in Philippi, a certain slave girl possessed with a demonic spirit of divination met them. She was a fortune-teller who brought good profits to her masters. This girl followed Paul and Silas wherever they went, crying out, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). And she did this for many days.
Now, let me ask you, was there anything wrong with what she said? She was telling the truth, wasn’t she? Paul and Silas were indeed servants of the Most High God, and they were proclaiming the way of salvation. But I want you to see this: For many days, the girl kept saying, “These men are…These men are…These men are…” And this greatly annoyed Paul, so much so that he cast the demon out of her (Acts 16:18). Why was Paul so annoyed? Because the girl was constantly putting the spotlight on him and Silas. The devil always wants us to put our attention on man, instead of God!
My friend, if you are the sort who gets flattered easily, people can control you. All they have to do is say some nice things about you and you are influenced into doing whatever they want you to do. But when you are passionate for the glory of Jesus, you can’t be swayed by the praises of man. You want only Jesus to get all the glory.
So always point people to Jesus. He alone deserves all the glory. You’ll never be shortchanged, my friend, when you do this—God will take care of those who exalt His Son!
'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' Galatians 6:2 NKJV
Paul writes, 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.' You must take responsibility for your own spiritual growth, because until you learn to carry your own burdens you won't be able to help others carry theirs. Remember the old Hollies' song, He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother? Instead of always having to be lifted, God wants you to lift others. Instead of always having to be prayed for, God wants you to pray for others. Instead of always needing to receive, you should be able to give. Why is it 'more blessed to give than to receive' (Acts 20:35 NKJV)? Because in receiving, the process ends with you. But in giving, you activate the law of reciprocity. Paul says: 'Every one must make up his own mind as to how much he should give... cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others... Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much... Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine.' (2 Corinthians 9:7-13 TLB) When you're all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. It's when you open up and reach out in love to others that you begin to grow spiritually.
LET ME BE SINGING
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. —Psalm 150:6
When I asked a friend how his mother was getting along, he told me that dementia had robbed her of the ability to remember a great many names and events from the past. “Even so,” he added, “she can still sit down at the piano and, without sheet music, beautifully play hymns by memory.”
Plato and Aristotle wrote about the helping, healing power of music 2,500 years ago. But centuries before that, the biblical record was saturated with song.
From the first mention of Jubal, “the father of all those who play the harp and flute” (Gen. 4:21), to those who “sing the song of Moses, the servant of God and the song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3), the pages of the Bible resonate with music. The Psalms, often called “the Bible’s songbook,” point us to the love and faithfulness of God. They conclude with an unending call to worship, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” (Ps. 150:6).
Today we need God’s ministry of music in our hearts as much as any time in history. Whatever each day brings, may the evening find us singing, “To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy” (59:17).
Lord, I don’t know what will come this day or farther into the future, but I’m grateful that You’re by my side. Grant me a spirit of praise and thanksgiving in whatever lies ahead.
Praise to God comes naturally when you count your blessings.
REST IS GIFT FROM GOD
… TAKE TIME TO RECEIVE IT TODAY !!!
I have a friend who has a great husband and three beautiful children. She is a wonderful wife and mother, always investing in family and doing things for them. However, she told me that she always feels so guilty when she takes time away tojust get her hair or nails done. She feels like she has to rush to get back and tend to her family. She told me one time, “I just sit in the chair at the salon tapping my feet nervously, counting the minutes. I just can’t seem to relax. I feel like I don’t have time to take care of myself because there is so much that needs to be done.”
Do you ever feel that way? The truth is that my friend’s husband and children probably want her to take time for herself, knowing that when she is refreshed she can be her best.
We all have a life list of to do’s either written down or in the back of our minds. Don’t fall into the trap of forgetting to put yourself on the list. That’s not balance; it’s not healthy. You are important, and you need to take time to rest and do things for yourself. That means you have to do things to relax—read, play golf, take a bubble bath—even if you have to schedule thirty minutes of “me time” into your daily planner. Sometimes just taking a walk in the park and looking at the birds or taking in some fresh air is enough to rejuvenate us. Maybe you need to kick back under a tree and enjoy an ice cream cone. Whatever it is that refreshes and refocuses you is a good investment of your time.
But did you know that rest is actually a spiritual principle? God Himself showed us a pattern of working and resting in the book of Genesis. If God worked and then chose to take a day of rest, we certainly all need to stop working and take time to rest! Always remember that rest is a gift from God, so take time to receive it today!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NIV)
UNDER PRESSURE? PLANT!
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7
If you feel like you're under pressure these days, you're not alone. Satan is putting more pressure on more people right now than ever before. He's pressuring us mentally, financially, emotionally and every other way he can. The pressure has gotten so great everywhere that governments don't know what to do. Businesses don't know what to do. Families don't know. Churches don't know.
But, praise God, Jesus does! He says we can give our way right out from under any pressure the devil brings to bear.
Giving is always Jesus' way out. Whenever there's a need, He plants seed! In fact, in Mark 4, He compares the entire kingdom of God to a seed. Just think about the importance of seeds for a moment. Every living thing on this earth came from a seed. You came from a seed. Then you were born again from the seed of God's Word. Jesus Himself was The Seed planted by God. God sowed Him in sacrifice. He came forth and grew up into many brethren.
So, when Satan puts you under pressure, go to Jesus and let Him tell you how and where to plant. If you'll do it, that seed will grow up until it breaks the powers of darkness and lack. It will release you from the pressure the devil's been putting on you.
I've seen it happen. When Jerry Savelle first began to work for my ministry, he didn't have but one suit of clothes and one shirt with a pair of slacks to his name. He wore one, then the other, night after night to every service we held. He didn't have the money to even think about buying another suit. I'm telling you, he was under pressure where clothes were concerned!
Then he found out about the principle of seed-faith and harvest. So, he went downtown in the city where we were in a meeting and found a fellow on the street who needed clothes and gave him some. Immediately people started giving Jerry clothes. It started in that meeting and they've been doing it ever since. Today, there are many preachers in Africa wearing Jerry Savelle suits! He's still sowing and reaping the greatest clothes harvest I've ever seen.
If the devil's pressuring you, don't panic...plant! Plant your time. Plant your money. Plant the clothes off your back. When your harvest comes in, you can laugh and say, "Hey, Devil, who's feeling the pressure now?"
TOTAL AND COMPLETE FORGIVENESS :
Ephesians 1:7- In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
People have said to me, “Pastor, I was taught that only my past sins—from the day I was born until the day I became a Christian—have been forgiven, and that my future sins are not forgiven until I confess them and seek forgiveness.”
My friend, when Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins were future?
Unless you are more than 2,000 years old, all your sins were future then! Jesus took them all upon Himself, nailed them to the cross and declared, “It is finished!” So if you are not forgiven of all, then you are not forgiven at all.
“You mean Jesus also died for the sin that I have just committed?”
Yes!
“And also for the sins which I will commit?”
Yes! That is why He said, “It is finished!”
But many of us are inconsistent in our believing. One part of us says, “God has forgiven me of all my sins.” But another part says, “Yes, but I must still confess my sins to be forgiven of them.” Are you like that?
Beloved, you are forgiven not because of your work of confession. Your confession cannot wash away your sins. You are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus shed for you. His blood alone cleanses you.
You cannot believe that you are forgiven of your past, present and future sins, and still think that there is something for you to do to make that forgiveness complete. If you do, then it becomes your work too, not Jesus’ alone.
Is there a place for confession of sins? My friend, if you have just sinned, you can always tell God about it without feeling condemned because you know that you already have forgiveness and that Jesus was condemned in your place. But you don’t confess your sins to God in order to be forgiven. You already have total and complete forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus!
Thought For The Day :
You are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus shed for you. It is His blood alone that cleanses you.
FORGO FLATTERY, EXALT JESUS
You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. - Psalm 118:28
When the apostle Paul and Silas were in Philippi, a certain slave girl possessed with a demonic spirit of divination met them. She was a fortune-teller who brought good profits to her masters. This girl followed Paul and Silas wherever they went, crying out, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). And she did this for many days.
Now, let me ask you, was there anything wrong with what she said? She was telling the truth, wasn’t she? Paul and Silas were indeed servants of the Most High God, and they were proclaiming the way of salvation. But I want you to see this: For many days, the girl kept saying, “These men are…These men are…These men are…” And this greatly annoyed Paul, so much so that he cast the demon out of her (Acts 16:18). Why was Paul so annoyed? Because the girl was constantly putting the spotlight on him and Silas. The devil always wants us to put our attention on man, instead of God!
My friend, if you are the sort who gets flattered easily, people can control you. All they have to do is say some nice things about you and you are influenced into doing whatever they want you to do. But when you are passionate for the glory of Jesus, you can’t be swayed by the praises of man. You want only Jesus to get all the glory.
So always point people to Jesus. He alone deserves all the glory. You’ll never be shortchanged, my friend, when you do this—God will take care of those who exalt His Son!
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