A "leaf" in the night

Scripture:

Leviticus 26:36-37 "'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them.

Observation:

The list of curses for disobedience (Leviticus 26:14-15) is more than three times as long as the blessings for obedience. In a fallen and broken world, our proclivity toward disobedience seems to exceed our bent to obedience. Persistence in disobedience and violation of the covenant will be met with emotional and physical disease and the loss of their crops to their enemies who will conquer them (Leviticus 26:16-17). In contrast to the promised blessing, they will flee even when no one is pursuing them.

Our verse today shows one of the things that will happen as a consequence of disobedience. They would be so fearful that "sound of a windblown LEAF will put them to flight..." That's being pretty nervous isn't it? A rustling leaf will send them running as if they are fleeing from the sword, even though NO ONE is pursuing them. Paranoia is rampant in our great country. Everybody thinks someone is out to get them. We here "rustling leaf's" all the time. Constant fear, and very little of God's peace. That needs to change! That is not how God intended for us to live our lives!

Application:

Are you feeling afraid today? If so, listen to these words from the God who loves you beyond expression, protects you around the clock, and blesses everything you put your hand to.

When there seems to be no way out, He says to you, "… fear not: stand still [firm, confident, undismayed] and see the salvation [deliverance] of the Lord, which He will work for you today… (Exodus 14:13 AMP).

When the problem looks too big, He says to you, "Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When you feel like you just can't cope anymore, He says to you, "… do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with my [victorious] right hand… (Isaiah 41:10 AMP).

When you long for peace of mind, He says to you, "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance… continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace… which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds… (Philippians 4:6-7 AMP).

According to Author Bob Gass: Worry is something you permit; peace is something you pursue. Jesus said in John 14:27,
"Do not permit yourselves to be fearful." That means you can take control of what goes on in your mind. How? By doing three things:

(1) By filling it with God's Word. Not just the Word you read casually, but the Word you process mentally, apply to each circumstance, and stand on in times of crisis.

(2) By placing each situation into God's hands, and leaving it there with confidence.

(3) By allowing the "Soldier of peace" to stand at guard of your heart and mind.

Phippians 4:7 And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

"Lord, everything's in a panic! Even the sound of a LEAF will cause me to run in terror. There's far too much to do and never enough hours to do it. My head is clogged with all kinds of junk and my heart is ready to break. Lord, where are You? I feel like the disciples when the storm came up and the winds and waves rocked their boat. My cry is the same as theirs, 'Somebody go get Jesus - I'm about to drown out here!' The storms of my life have all but sunk my boat - I can't take much more. Prince of Peace I need You. Father, who never slumbers nor sleeps, take charge. I need the comfort and courage that comes from Your Spirit. Speak Lord, for the wind still remembers the sound of Your voice. Let me find in You a quiet place, a place where I can pillow my head on Your breast, hear Your heartbeat, and feel secure. In Jesus name, Amen."

My "Alongside me" God

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! (4) He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

Observation:

Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being "comforted" can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles

Application:

Has your heart ever been broken? What broke it? Cruelty? Failure? Unfaithfulness? Loss? Maybe you found a place alone to cry. Maybe you even feel shame or guilt when you cry, but my friend it’s good to cry. Scottish preacher George McDonald once said, "Tears are the only cure for weeping."

Psalm 56:8 (TM) You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.

Psalm 56:8 (ESV) You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Just think for a moment what that verse says, "God keeps track of every toss and turn you make in the middle of the night. He keeps your tears in his ledger, in a bottle. He as written every single ache in His book. He knows your pain. He knows when you are hurting. He knows when you do not have the answer. He knows when you feel forsaken, alone, rejected, and unloved. He KNOWS my friend!

Jesus wept at His friend Lazarus’ grave (John 11:35), and He weeps with us (v.33). His heart was broken as well. Our tears attract our Lord’s lovingkindness and tender care. He knows our troubled, sleepless nights. His heart aches for us when we mourn.

As our verse says, He is the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And He uses His people to comfort one another.

But tears and our need for comfort come back all too frequently in this life. Present comfort is not the final answer. There is a coming a day when there will be no death, no sorrow, no crying, for all these things will “have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). There in heaven God will wipe away every tear. We are so dear to our Father that He will be the one who wipes the tears away from our eyes; He loves us so deeply and personally.

But until we have the ultimate relief from our sorrow, continue to remember, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

Prayer:

"Lord, You do know every hurt, you see every toss and turn of a sleepless night. You record and file every tear. You enter every ache into Your book of remembrane. I am so thankful that You come alongside those who are hurting. You walk with us through this difficult time. You are my 'alongside me' God. I am so thankful that You do not leave or forsake me. There will come a time soon when the pain I am facing will be used to help someone else is going through a similar situation. Again, that is just the way You are! Thank You for that! In Jesus' name, amen!"

Weak faith vs Great faith

Scripture:

Matthew 14:28-31 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." (29) He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." (31) Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Observation:

Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to do (Matthew 4:7). Instead, he was the only one in the boat to react in faith. His impulsive request led him to experience a rather unusual demonstration of God's power. Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. We probably will not walk on water, but we may walk through tough situations. If we focus on the waves of difficult circumstances around us without faith in Jesus to help, we, too, may despair and sink. To maintain your faith when situations are difficult, focus on Jesus' power rather than on your inadequacies.

Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. This doesn't necessarily mean we have failed. When Peter's faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ's presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with you and is the only one who can really help.

Application:

Too often we get it completely turned around what "great faith" is and what "weak faith" is.

We believe great faith is walking on water. That's pretty impressive isn't it? Peter steps out of the boat, and begins to walk towards Jesus. As long as his eyes were on Jesus he was fine, but when he begin to look at the waves and notice the wind, he began to sink. Jesus rescued him, took him back to the boat and said, "why is your faith so WEAK (little spirited)."

Wow, didn't expect that. Weak faith, even though he walked on water?

A few chapters before this one in Matthew 8, Jesus was asleep on the boat in the midst of a storm, and the disciples became offended at him, went and woke Him up with, "dont you care that we perish?" Jesus said, "why are you afraid, O you of little faith (little spirited)?"

Jesus got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.

Two examples of Jesus calling the faith of His disciples, "weak, little spirited" But now lets look at who Jesus said "Great faith." Surely it must be someone who has raised the dead, or laid hands on everyone that was sick, and they were healed. That's got to be who He called "great faith".

Let's look at the story:

Matthew 15:22-28 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." (23) But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." (24) He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (25) But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." (26) And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." (27) She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." (28) Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Notice what happens: Jesus didn't answer at all at first. Then the disciples begged Him to send her away. Then Jesus said "I am only come for the lost sheep of Israel", this lady was a cannanite. Then Jesus said, "it's not right for me to give the childrens bread to the DOGS."

Dog was a term the Jews commonly applied to Gentiles because the Jews considered these pagan people no more likely than dogs to receive God's blessing. Jesus was not degrading the woman by using this term; he was reflecting the Jews' attitude so as to contrast it with his own. The woman did not argue. Instead, using Jesus' choice of words, she agreed to be considered a dog as long as she could receive God's blessing for her daughter

I would have been offended at Jesus. I would have bristled. I would have probably missed out on this miracle because of my offense. I would have walked off saying, "Jesus didn't act like I think He should, He didn't do what I thought He should."

But not this lady. She answered Jesus immediately, "even the dogs get the that fall from the masters table." Before a miracle ever took place, before the child was healed, Jesus said to this woman, "O woman, how great is your faith!" The miracle hadn't taken place yet, but Jesus has already called her faith great. What's going on here? By the way, her daughter was healed, AFTER Jesus said she had great faith!

I submit to you today that great faith is when you refuse to get offended at the ways, works and wonders of God. When you do not get the answer to your prayer that you are hoping for immediately, you do not get offended. You do not allow yourself to get angry at God. You trust Him, and His ways. That is GREAT FAITH

When you are constantly mad and offended at God because He doesn't move the way you think he should, then you are walking in WEAK FAITH.

Great faith trust God and His Word regardless what their eyes see.

Weak faith trust God ONLY if they see the answer immediately.

I refuse to get offended at God. I want to make the choice today, to celebrate and Trust His Word and Presence in my life.

Prayer:

"Lord, help me to be aware of weak faith and great faith. Because Your ways are so much higher than my ways, I will not always understand Your delays, or ways. Great faith is not getting offended at Your ways or delays. Great faith is trusting You, PERIOD. I know, that I know You have my best interest at heart. You WILL cause things to work together for the good of me and my family, because we love You and are called according to Your purpose. I do not want weak faith. I do not want to be offended at You. I trust You, I love You, I serve You and I praise You. In Jesus' name, amen!"

For God knows...

Scripture:

Genesis 3:4-5 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. (5) For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Observation:

Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan's invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God's kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he's been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Jesus (Mathew 4:1-11). But Jesus did not sin!

How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines we can follow. First, we must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. Then, to resist temptation, we must (1) pray for strength to resist, (2) run, sometimes literally, and (3) say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don't give in when tempted.

The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God's goodness. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and, instead, focus on what God had forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises God has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and what you don't have, consider all you do have and thank God. Then your doubts won't lead you into sin.

Application:

I wanted to come back to this verse today. Once again, we see satan trying to get Eve to doubt God's goodness, His kindness. If God didn't really care about Eve, then why would she concern herself with doing what God wanted her to do?

He told Eve that God knows that this would bless her, and make her a better person "your eyes will be open" to see things that you can't see now. In other words, "you disobey God, because He's trying to keep something from you." He goes on, "in fact you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Satan always paints a beautiful picture. Here the picture was that it was satan, and not God, who really cared about her. That she would be better off going against God's Word than obeying it. He let her know that "she would see things differently if she just knew the entire truth."

The enemy continues to do the same thing today: "God knows... what your going through. If He cared He would have already done something about it!" "His Word isn't really something you can count on, do your own thing." "God is too busy to be concerned about you, he has too many other things to do and more important people to spend His time with!" All of these are attempts to get you to not trust Your loving, compassionate, patient, merciful, faithful God.

God says vengenace is mine, I will repay. But satan lies to try to cause us to think we can "become like God by seeking revenge." God says, "dont worry about tomorrow, i have this covered" and satan attempts to make us think if anything is going to happen it's going to have to be us, because God hasn't done anything yet, so we take it from God's hands, and follow the lie of the enemy that we "can be like God" and have sleepless nights carrying the very burden that God says He wanted from us.

The enemy of our soul attacked the truth of God's Word in the garden of Eden, and he has been doing the same thing ever since. Let me give you a few examples:

"God is a healer" is absolute truth. But the enemy wants to change that to relative truth and say, "He only heals certain ones that He really cares about, and that isn't you."

"God cares about You"-absolute truth. Satan twists it to say, "if He really cared, He wouldn't be holding this back from you."

"Don't seek vengeance, I've got this covered" absolute truth. Satan attacks this truth and tells you that God won't do a good enough job of paying back so you need to get involved with gossip, backbiting, lying to pay them back what they deserve!

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful that I didnt get what I deserve. I fail God often. Let Him down. But His grace is more than sufficient. Where sin abounds...Grace much more abounds.

God truly cares for you. Don't allow the enemy to manipulate your emotions and the Holy Word to say to you things that God has not said to you. Walk in the Spirit, and refuse to say one word without filtering it through soul searching prayer and Holy Ghost direction. Then you will keep God on the throne of your life, and NOT self!

Prayer:

"Lord I am so thankful that You care for me. Oh yes, the enemy often attempts to tell me differently, but he is a liar. He attempts to paint a lovely picture, but the picture is based in lies. I do not want to used by the devil to bring destruction, pain, or hurt to anyone. I want to help build your church, not tear it down. To help build, I must be reminded that God, you truly are GOOD, kind, patient, and faithful. Thank you again Lord, in Jesus' name, amen!"

God truly CARES about you

Scripture:

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, (7) casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Observation:

The wonderful promise “He cares for you” (NKJV) reminds us of the night in the boat when the disciples asked Jesus, “Do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) Of course, Jesus cares! Satan would have these Christians, in our text, believe that their “fiery trial” was an evidence of God’s indifference; but Peter reminds them that they may “cast the whole of their care” (Mark 4:7) once and for all upon Christ.

Carrying your worries, stresses, concerns and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let others in God's family help you. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, he will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don't submit to circumstances but to the Lord, who controls circumstances.

Application:

One of the ways the devil is working today is to try to convince and persuade the Christian that God doesn't really care. That is what happened in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:5 when satan was tempting Eve. Eve said "we can't eat that fruit, for God said if we eat from it we would die." Satan said, "you will not surely die" but "God KNOWS that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God..." What was the tempter saying? That God really didn't care for them, He was only concerned about Himself. The enemy implied that God wanted to keep blessings from them.

Some things never change! That is still going on today. If the enemy can convince you that God doesn't really care, then you will not even take the time to pray. Why would you? If God doesn't care about you, He certainly won't LISTEN to your prayers, much less do anything about them. It is subtle, deceptive lie that the enemy uses on everyone.

BUT...God's Word says YOU can cast ALL your cares on Him BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU!

As we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, we should become increasingly dependent upon Him.

Again, Peter says, "Casting all your care upon Him". "To cast" is epirhı́ptō, which means "to throw upon." That is exactly what we should do. Christ desires deeply to carry our cares. "He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4).

He has invited us, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Peter's use of the word "all" is most interesting. He encourages us to cast all of our cares upon Him. For some reason, many of us Christians seem to be "sophisticated" about such things. Many have worked out quite an elaborate scheme regarding what kind of problems they should bring to the Lord. I have heard people say many times, "I don't bother God with my small problems. I only bring the big ones to Him."

God desires for us to be deeply dependent upon Him with all of our cares, sorrows, problems, needs, and questions and He is watching over us every moment of every day. He never takes a day off from watcing carefully.

Nothing is too big for God nor is anything too small. Our Lord cares for a single sparrow and knows the very number of the hairs of our heads (Luke 12:6-7). And He cares about our small problems as well as the large. He desires for us to be dependent upon Him, to trust in Him with all of our hearts, and to lean not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

We should cast all of our care upon Him because "He cares for you" Think of it. God cares for you. He loves you. He delights in caring for you

In this verse, the word for "care" is mérimna, meaning "to be anxious about" or "to be concerned." God is interested in you; He is concerned about your needs. He cares for you.

We can never know true liberty, we can never be truly free until we cast our cares upon the Lord. A mark of maturity in the life of the Christian is to become increasingly dependent upon Christ. The more we depend upon Him, the more mature and free we become in Christ.

Prayer:

"Lord I am so thankful that You truly CARE for me. For ME...it is easy for me to acknowledge that You care for others, but today You have shown that You CARE FOR, WATCH OVER, CONCERN YOURSELF with ME. The Master of this universe, the Creator of this entire world and all of its beauty, cares deeply about ME. Wow, I am overwhelmed today. The enemy tries to tell me different, but I must constantly remember that he is a LIAR and the truth is not, not will be, nor can be, in him. So I must stop listening to his lies. I can take the oppostie of what he says and know that is the truth of the matter. So when the enemy says 'God doesn't care' that is a confirmation that God does care. I will turn the words of the liar around and use them for Your glory my Lord. Thank You for Your constant watch, attention and care. In Jesus' name, amen!"

Beware of The snare of the devil

Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (ESV) And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, (25) correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, (26) and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (TM) God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, (25) working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, (26) enabling them to escape the Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his (the devil)errands.

Observation:

As a teacher, Timothy helped those who were confused about the truth. Paul's advice to Timothy, and to all who teach God's truth, is to be kind and gentle, patiently and courteously explaining the truth. Good teaching never promotes quarrels or foolish arguments. Whether you are teaching Sunday school, leading a Bible study, or preaching in church, remember to listen to people's questions and treat them respectfully, while avoiding foolish debates. If you do this, those who oppose you may be more willing to hear what you have to say and perhaps turn from their error.

Paul makes it clear that we are to do our absolute BEST to try and get along with everyone:

Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Paul in the same book also says there are times that you will not be able to live peacefully with some people, and gives instructions on what to do:

Romans 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. (18) For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

According to Paul, some people will selfishly try to cause problems among their peers. They are to be "marked" (KJV) as someone to avoid, and to not give an ear to them. In these last days, the enemy is working hard using whomever he can, to attempt to disrupt, divide, and destroy God's kingdom and His church. We must be aware of this!

Application:

I received an email devotion this morning at 4:45 am from Rick Renner's ministry delving deeper into today's verse. I would like to share this article with you in its entirety. It is a little lengthy, but it is a powerful warning from the Holy Spirit to all of us:

Every once and a while in the local church, someone gets so bent out of shape and upset with the church leadership that he behaves in a way that is shocking to everyone. Often this person has served faithfully in the past; yet suddenly he becomes a raging torrent - accusing the pastor, getting upset with the pastoral staff, and trying to stir up as much trouble as possible. The amazing thing is that this person is usually blind to how ugly and ungodly his behavior really is. Often the person even thinks he's doing the will of God by pointing out the flaws of the church leadership!

Timothy was having similar troubles with several people in his own congregation. Paul referred to this predicament when he wrote that some people in his church were "taken captive by him [the devil] at his will" (2 Timothy 2:26).

The words "taken captive" are from the Greek word zoogreo, which means to take an animal alive. It is the picture of putting an animal in a cage or behind bars at the zoo. This means people who are behaving this way are themselves victims - somehow caught and trapped by the devil, caged in resentment or bitterness that drives them to act in a fashion that is inconsistent with who they really are!

When Paul says "taken captive by him [the devil] at his will,"

it could be better rendered:

"who are taken captive by him [the devil] to carry out the devil's will."

Here we see a picture of a believer whose emotions the devil has manipulated until the person himself becomes the source of strife, discord, and subversion in the church, all the while thinking that he is doing the will of God. This is a deceived believer, captured by the enemy and now working for the devil to disrupt the local church!

Offense is usually the entry point the devil uses to seduce a believer into this behavior. And it's amazing just how quickly a dart of offense from the enemy can be thrown into a person's heart. Equally amazing is the speed in which just one of his evil darts can change that person's perspective of someone he used to honor and respect! In a matter of seconds, his entire view of that other person can become adversely affected.

Like the dripping of water, the devil begins to repeatedly strike a person's mind with accusations against the one who was once so revered. Let's say the one accused is the person's pastor. The enemy might pound that person's mind with false allegations such as these:

"He is so arrogant and proud!" "If other people saw what you see, no one would attend this church." "He doesn't appreciate you." "He doesn't deserve to have you serve on his staff. Leave him!" "The people in this city need a pastor who really loves them." "It's time for you to leave him and go start your own church!"

Do I really think that person intended to hurt me? Wouldn't it be better to forgive that person and preserve our relationship that has taken so long to build? Is what happened really so serious, or am I blowing the whole incident out of proportion? Have I ever been guilty of doing the same thing to someone else?

I have discovered from my own experience through the years that the devil is constantly seeking opportune moments to wedge bad feelings between people. He is a master at embellishing real or imagined offenses until they become inflated and larger than life. And he knows just when to "sock it to you"!

So slow down, calm down, and give yourself a little time to think and pray before you start accusing someone. It would be a good idea to find a friend who will be honest with you. Ask that friend to tell you the truth about what you are feeling and about how you are behaving. A good dose of honesty from a truthful friend might be exactly what you need to wake you up to what the devil is trying to do in you and through you!

Prayer:

Lord, I never want the devil to take me captive to do his will in my church or place of employment. He is an accuser, so if I am tempted to accuse and slander, it means that the devil is trying to work through me. Give me the ability to recognize this strategy of the enemy as soon as it starts, and to put on the brakes before I get so embroiled in a conflict that I can't see or think correctly. Holy Spirit, You are the Spirit of Truth, so please enable me to both see and to hear the truth about myself, because I want to stay free! In Jesus name, amen!"

Archaic living or New living?

Scripture:

Romans 12:1-2 (TM) So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. (2) Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:2 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.

Observation:

God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for his children. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, living to honor and obey him. Because he wants only what is best for us, and because he gave his Son to make our new life possible, we should joyfully give ourselves as living sacrifices for his service.

Paul warned Christians: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world" that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Wise Christians decide that much worldly behavior is off-limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world's values, however, must go even deeper than just behavior and customs; it must be firmly planted in our mind: "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reeducates, and redirects our mind are we truly transformed:

Romans 8:5-6 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them--living and breathing God! (6) Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.

Application:

One of the greatest battles that Christians battle is in the "battlefield of the mind." The mind is where fears can be incubated. Worry attempts to crowd out confidence. Insecurity tries to bully securitiy. Doubt attempts to overshadow faith. Anger slow eats away at peace. Before we were saved we were enemies of God, and hostile, in our minds:

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

So what we have to do daily, is to renew our minds. The word "renewal" in Romans 12:2 comes from the Greek word, "metamorphoo" where we get the word "metamorphosis", the process of change that takes place when a caterpillar changes to a butterfly, or a tadpole changes to a frog. When metamorphosis takes place, the frog is no longer a tadpole. He is a "new creation" and does things that he could have never done as a tadpole.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (TM) Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Greek word for "old things" is archaios where we get the word archaic. One of the definitions of archaic is: "No longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavor."

The problem with the mind is that it so easiy wants to revert back to the way we thought, acted, talked, lived BEFORE we became a Christian, a NEW creature in Christ. Paul says our old way of thinking must become archaic. We must stop "imparting an old fashioned flavor" in our thinking. We must stop thinking, and thus acting, like we are not regenerated, saved, a new creature in Christ. In metamorphosis terms, we must stop acting like a "tadpole" because we are now a "frog". We are different than we used to be if we have been born again! If you do not RENEW your mind daily, then you are keeping your old, unregenerated way of thinking active and current, which is the direct oppostie of archaic.

How do you metamorphoo (renew) your mind daily, and make sure the "old things" are archaic? Make sure you spend time every day in God's Word. Start the day off with God's Word, and do not move on from God's Word until you have a "rhema" Word that you can put into the "crock pot of your mind" and allow it to simmer all day. You think on that Word, you talk about it to someone you work with, or go to school with. You pray it throughout the day, you speak it outloud. As you do this, your mind will be renewed. If you do not do this, the archaic way of thinking, doing, will take over.

As long as we live in this world, the "default" in our thinking is "old things" and if you do not daily...DAILY...renew your mind, by meditating (thinking, dwelling on) the Word of God, you mind will not be renewed.

So, make sure your mind is renewed today, and you make the old way of thinking archaic! You ARE a new creation in Christ. You are no longer lost, but you are found. You are no longer an enemy of God in your mind! You are in the process of metamorphosis! You are being changed from "old things" to new things.

Prayer:

"Lord, thank You that I am a new creation, a new creature because I trust You today for salvation. I am so thankful that my old way of doing things is archaic, and the new is active! I am thankful for this 'rhema Word' this morning that has been deposited into my mind. I will not live, think, act like, talk like my archaic self, but my new self! I want the aroma of this Word to go with me and affect everything about this day. In Jesus name, amen!"