"THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS........" (Romans 8:1)
CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN!!!!
I have to tell you what I sensed from the Lord this morning in church. It's something that I learned a good while ago, but He wanted to remind me so I could pass it along to you! As we were in worship and celebrating His resurrection I was asking the Lord what He wanted to say to us today. This is what I heard:
"Today needs to be a complete day of celebration. A COMPLETE day of remembering victories."
And then the download hit.
What God was saying to me was that there were people struggling with things they had recently done which resulted in sin. Now while we need to repent of sin in our lives, we also tend to beat ourselves up for falling short. I used to do this, too. I'd do something really stupid that I knew didn't please the Lord and then carry it around all day even after I had asked for forgiveness. There were many times when I would even say in my spirit, "God, I don't know why You say you'll forgive me when I don't even want to forgive myself." Praise God He rescued me from that thinking and along with that rescue I've allowed God to continually refine me. The point this morning was that God was showing me that on the day we were celebrating Jesus rising from the grave there were people that couldn't fully celebrate because they were hanging onto the guilt of something they had done. The Lord also said to me, "I'm tired of that" (carrying around the burden of mistakes). "It needs to stop."
God then showed me the joy of the opposite. How when we CHOOSE to not do wrong. When we CHOOSE to follow Him and when we CHOOSE to resist temptation and refuse to give in to the devil, yet we don't remember the victory all day. We will carry around defeat, but not celebrate in the victories. God wants me to tell you to start carrying around your victories throughout the day. Remember the times that you have looked temptation in the face and walked away from it. Remind yourself of that kind of thing throughout the day. Don't blow it off like we often do. GOD DOESN'T BLOW IT OFF! It is a sweet smelling aroma to Him. He doesn't forget it.
So many of us grew up learning that we are just a bunch of sinners who will continue to fall short of the glory of God for as long as we walk in these human bodies. God does not look at us that way. He looks at us as sons and daughters, a "royal priesthood" and gives us the keys to His kingdom. When my children mess up I want them to get over it and move on. Learn the lesson, but let it go and move on. Our heavenly Papa wants that very same thing for His chosen kids.
Yes, sin makes God sad, so keep allowing yourself to be refined, or fine-tuned and if you need to ask for forgiveness, receive it and then move on. In other words don't be ridiculous by carrying an unnecessary burden. Just get over it!!!!!!
Allow your days this Easter season to be full of happiness! That's what God meant when I heard Him say, "TODAY NEEDS TO BE A COMPLETE DAY OF CELEBRATION. A COMPLETE DAY OF REMEMBERING VICTORIES." Now take some time to remember and celebrate YOUR personal victories!!!!
Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits. I just had to tell you! There are many who needed to hear this today! Oh yea........ and just a minute ago the Lord whispered for me to tell you that He IS YOUR BIGGEST FAN!
"Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings....." (Psalm 17:8
Much love and many blessings,
Mark S
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS
Greetings, greetings and more greetings. Seize the day, my friend.
So the other night I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I've learned that instead of fighting sleep it's so much more beneficial if I get up and spend time in God's Word. Almost every time I do I end up finding this nugget of truth that will just stay with me for days. A couple of nights ago....actually it was about 4 in the morning......along comes the nugget.
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:4-5) Hey, that's me! I believe that Jesus is the Son of God! That must have been written for me! What about you?
Cross reference that with John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." These are the very words of Jesus.
As I began to ponder these verses I began to wonder. Why do so many Christians just give in to adversity when it comes? I have heard so many during my lifetime say that we can never escape trouble; that it's part of life and they are quick to point out that even Jesus said so. Well, I agree, but only to a certain point. Trouble and trials do come and yes Jesus did say they would, but why do so many want to stop and leave it at that when the Word of God says that we have the ability to overcome such things? The Greek word for tribulation in verse 33 is thlipsis(sounds just like it is spelled....thlip-sis). and it really means the worst of the worst. Affliction, distress, intense pressure and crushing. Picture a garbage disposal crushing and compacting everything that is thrown into it and you have thlipsis. Sounds pretty devastating doesn't it? But then we have Jesus, our Leader, who took these things on, whipped them real good and then He gave us the ability to do the same thing. Should we not be staring adversity in the face and push it right back? Don't live in defeat or fear of anything! To do so means that Christ didn't do enough on the cross.
"I'm always sick."
"It happened to my grandfather and my dad, so it will happen to me. I just have to accept it."
"I'll always struggle financially. I'll never get ahead."
"Bad stuff always happens to me."
"My marriage stinks and always will."
Those are just a few examples of things that I've heard from people during my time in ministry. Defeating things that are just accepted as part of life. Maybe there isn't anything quite that extreme in your life, but I'll bet that there is something that you allow to defeat you time and time again. If so it's time to pull the plug on that kind of thinking. Then again if you've discovered that you don't have to wait until you get to Heaven to live in the Kingdom, maybe you've already known this for awhile.
Let's be very honest. Everyday there are people who want to talk and talk about how bad life is....how bad things are. Sadly, Christians can often lead the way with such talk. Isn't it time to counter that kind of talk with how God is full of hope, promise and overcomes? I want to be reminded more often of how "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."(Jeremiah 29:11)
"Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) Those aren't the words of some misery giving god. Those are the words of the good, righteous, loving and living God who even destroys generational curses.
It's about finding victory in the face of defeat, it's about overcoming the bad stuff and it's about living with complete peace. Jesus promised it. He doesn't lie. That's good enough for me.
So until next time...................................
...............Peace out!!!!
Mark S.
So the other night I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I've learned that instead of fighting sleep it's so much more beneficial if I get up and spend time in God's Word. Almost every time I do I end up finding this nugget of truth that will just stay with me for days. A couple of nights ago....actually it was about 4 in the morning......along comes the nugget.
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:4-5) Hey, that's me! I believe that Jesus is the Son of God! That must have been written for me! What about you?
Cross reference that with John 16:33. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." These are the very words of Jesus.
As I began to ponder these verses I began to wonder. Why do so many Christians just give in to adversity when it comes? I have heard so many during my lifetime say that we can never escape trouble; that it's part of life and they are quick to point out that even Jesus said so. Well, I agree, but only to a certain point. Trouble and trials do come and yes Jesus did say they would, but why do so many want to stop and leave it at that when the Word of God says that we have the ability to overcome such things? The Greek word for tribulation in verse 33 is thlipsis(sounds just like it is spelled....thlip-sis). and it really means the worst of the worst. Affliction, distress, intense pressure and crushing. Picture a garbage disposal crushing and compacting everything that is thrown into it and you have thlipsis. Sounds pretty devastating doesn't it? But then we have Jesus, our Leader, who took these things on, whipped them real good and then He gave us the ability to do the same thing. Should we not be staring adversity in the face and push it right back? Don't live in defeat or fear of anything! To do so means that Christ didn't do enough on the cross.
"I'm always sick."
"It happened to my grandfather and my dad, so it will happen to me. I just have to accept it."
"I'll always struggle financially. I'll never get ahead."
"Bad stuff always happens to me."
"My marriage stinks and always will."
Those are just a few examples of things that I've heard from people during my time in ministry. Defeating things that are just accepted as part of life. Maybe there isn't anything quite that extreme in your life, but I'll bet that there is something that you allow to defeat you time and time again. If so it's time to pull the plug on that kind of thinking. Then again if you've discovered that you don't have to wait until you get to Heaven to live in the Kingdom, maybe you've already known this for awhile.
Let's be very honest. Everyday there are people who want to talk and talk about how bad life is....how bad things are. Sadly, Christians can often lead the way with such talk. Isn't it time to counter that kind of talk with how God is full of hope, promise and overcomes? I want to be reminded more often of how "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."(Jeremiah 29:11)
"Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) Those aren't the words of some misery giving god. Those are the words of the good, righteous, loving and living God who even destroys generational curses.
It's about finding victory in the face of defeat, it's about overcoming the bad stuff and it's about living with complete peace. Jesus promised it. He doesn't lie. That's good enough for me.
So until next time...................................
...............Peace out!!!!
Mark S.
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