2 Thessalonians 2:2

“That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.“

If we are not careful, we will forget who we are and who we serve.

The enemy’s goal is to have us so distracted by what is going on in the world today, that we forget. He would like us to forget the God who has delivered us time and time again. He would like us to forget the God who has consistently met all of our needs (food, clothing, shelter, finances, etc.), and has blessed us so many ways we cannot count.

The enemy’s goal is to slip in quietly and whisper ungodly wisdom designed to attack the foundation on which we stand – subtlety.

But don’t be shaken. Don’t be fooled or seduced by this silver tongued devil. Rather make sure to spend time in personal devotion with God. Prayer, praise and worship. Spend time reading and meditating on God’s word. This will encourage your heart. It will sure up your foundation, and remind you of whose you are and who you are in Him!

Take no thought of HOW your needs will be met. Just as David said in Psalms 37:25, God has our back. Even look over you own history and reflect on how God has ALWAYS had your back. Trust the God that is the same and never changes. If he has done it before he WILL do it again.

We do not panic. Panic speaks to that inward doubt and unbelief we try to hide. Instead, expose that to God. Just as the man who was seeking help for his son from Jesus (Mark 9:23-24). When we tell God of our inward struggle he is able to help and deliver us.

Be not shaken – God is in control. But prepare yourself, for the day of the Lord hand.

Be blessed!

Have a blessed night!

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19

“18. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Sometimes things happen to us that are not good, when this happens I have a choice. I can react , poorly (by being mad, upset, scared, ungrateful, be fearful, or have an attitude, etc.), or I can do what the Bible says. and give thanks.

Just to be clear – I am not thankful for the bad thing that happens. Rather, I am thankful because the situation is an opportunity for God to be glorified in my life.

We do not live in a vacuum. People see our lives – some even watch it like it is a TV show.

Because of this God uses us to bring glory to himself. It is an honor to be used by God. This reason alone is enough to give thanks. But when we recognize the opportunity we are facing it is imperative to follow God’s instructions (walking according to the Bible). When we do this it creates space for God to be exalted in our situations.

It creates space for miracles.

With the current situation the world is facing with the Coronavirus, I give thanks. Not for the virus, but for the God that is Lord of all. I am thankful for this opportunity for God to show himself mighty.

I chose faith over fear. I chose to trust God, and not succumb to irrational fear and negative behavior. I choose to be responsible and to act responsibly in caring for myself and others.

My choice is to give thanks and leave room for God to do what needs to be done in my life.

Romans 12:19-20

“19. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20. To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”“

As the old song says “don’t worry, be happ.”

We cannot spend our precious time worrying about what people may say or do. We can only control our actions and reactions.

It is far to easy to react without thought of consequences. But that has proven to be a wrong move, every time. Rather, spend your energy on being kind – always. This pleases God and it confuses your enemy. Let God handle people. He has always been on our side. He promised to be our protector and our comfort. Let God handle his business. Just make sure your actions are above reproach.

Just be kind to all. It is less stressful to you and a blessing to all involved.

Make it a great day!

Romans 12:2 ESV

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“

It takes courage to be different – to stand apart from the crowd to maintain a set of Godly values.

It is easy to go with the the flow. To agree with whatever the world deems is the new correct way to proceed. It is easy not to oppose, but to just give in. Even when you know it is a bad Idea.

The problem with this is we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He does not change. His requirements do not change. His word will never change or fail.

To many, instead of standing on the infallible word of God, It is more inclusive to try and change our “interpretation” of the word. To try to convince the world that we had it wrong all along, and now the word means this… (insert the flavor of the flow here).

The Bible encourages us to not conform to the world (it’s views, goals, desires and beliefs), but to be transformed. We can only be transformed (a dramatic change), when our mind is renewed (give fresh life or strength to) by the word of God. Only God is able to change the way we think. When our thinking is changed, so will our behavior.

With a mind that is strengthened and support by the word of God, it is not hard to stand apart. To be that peculiar people.

With a renewed mind we can operate is love, for we are motivated by love. This love of God will automatically cause us to show Godly inclusion to all. To preach a gospel that speaks to us all, no matter who or where we are.

With a renewed mind, we are equipped to withstand the storm and pass the test. Testing will let us know that we are able to discern God’s will. This is key for the believer. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5: “in all they getting, get understanding.”

All of the opportunities we have to stand firm on what the Bible says, are tests. Weather we succeed or fail, we gain experience. Your experience will help you to understand what is God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will. This understanding will identify the areas in your walk with God that are good, or acceptable or perfect (right) to Him; or where we are missing the mark altogether.

A renewed mind is life!

Romans 12:1

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.“

Important Definitions:

Present: Give someone (a gift or award) in a formal or ceremonial way. Show or offer (something) for others to scrutinize or consider.

Living: Alive. The pursuit of a lifestyle of the specified type.

Sacrifice: An animal, person, or object offered in a sacrifice. An act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.

Holy: Dedicated or consecrated to God.

I have learned that there should be a difference between who you were when you first met God, (that point where you began to have a relationship with him), and who you are as you gain experience through walking with him.

The difference occurs as we mature in our knowledge of him, by practically applying the lessons we learned to our daily lives. This is also called wisdom. Maturing in Christ.

The last topic was entitled It’s Time to Grow Up. Today’s we are talking about spiritual maturity. The reason being is it is time for us to move beyond milk as babes, to strong meat (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). It is time to mature so we can make room to receive new believers surely coming. Additionally, there is a work to be done, and we must be strong enough to accomplish it, to see it through to the end.

We are to present our selves to God. A gift given to him to use so that his will can be done.

God is looking for us to live a life that is daily offered to him. A life that we daily seek to please him and do his will. See definitions above. We are to daily pursue after God – seeking to live a life that pleases him.

Our life should be a sacrifice to God. Offering ourselves to him to honor him. We are to freely give up things (the cares of this life), because the reward of God has a greater and has everlasting value. This life should be holy – dedicated to God. Doing so is acceptable to God. More importantly, it is considered our reasonable service.

It is reasonable because of all God has sacrificed for us. He paid a ransom for us – something we can never repay. And he did this while we were all still deep in sin. We were so blinded by our sin that we could not even understand we needed to be delivered and set free.

So I challenge you to take a good look at your life. Ask yourself is your life a living sacrifice? Is your life holy? Is it acceptable to God?

If you can answer yes, then you are doing well. Keep fighting the good fight of faith.

If your answer is no, or you are unsure, then it is time to repent – ask God for forgiveness. Then re-dedicate your life to him. Make conscious choices each day to spend time with God. Personal devotion time (prayer, praise, and worship), study the word of God and seek to apply that word to your life. Then find your place in him – exercise the gifts and calling that God has invested in you. Do the work.

Live that sacrificed life. Blessings and your reward await you.