Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

[Vonnie]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Let Go and Let God!

When you're troubled and worried and sick at heart

And your plans are upset and your world falls apart,

Remember God's ready and waiting to share

The burden you find much too heavy to bear

So with faith LET GO AND LET GOD lead the way

Into a brighter and less troubled day.

HSR

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

The Renewing Of The Mind

One of the reasons we fail in our Christian life is that we try to live spiritual lives with a carnal mind; trying to apply carnal solutions to spritual problems, or trying to use carnal means to achieve spiritual results. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:6,7: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritual minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the laws of God, neither indeed can be" . The carnal mind is the mind that is controlled by our human nature - a mind that follows what reason infers from the five senses rather than the recreated spirit. It cannot understand the mind, the will, or the purpose of God.

Our victories are won or lost in the mind (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The weapons of our warfare (Ephesians 6:11-18) are for the sole purpose of pulling down strongholds: for casting down imaginations, casting down high things, and bringing thoughts into captivity. The warfare is in, and for, the mind of the believer. The three strongholds of the minds are imaginations, high things that exalt themselves against our knowledge of God, and our thoughts. It is no coincidence that two of the most vital weapons are the helmet of salvation, for the protection of the mind, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

A quick look at the mind's strongholds show us the following: Imaginations - in witnessing, we imagine defeat; in prayer, we imagine doubt; in love, we imagine rejection; in goodness, we imagine evil; and so on. Before we even get to the front of the battle, we are often defeated by imaginations. High Things - Satan will use Scripture against our knowledge of Scripture. Our empty wallets exalt themselves against our knowledge that God will supply all our needs. Our sicknesses exalt themselves against our knowledge of God's wish for our health, and so on. Thoughts - These should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (Philippans 4:7). We do have the power to determine what we think about. Sometimes as we read the Bible or pray, our minds are like a busy intersection with thoughts, like cars, going every which way. Wen our commitment to do the will of God is challenged by thoughts from the world, the flesh, or the devil, bring it to God in prayer (Philippians 3:6)

What does it mean to be transformed? The word "transform" in the Greek is "metamorphousthe", from which we get the English word "metamorphosis" which means the change of something from one form to another. For example, a worm/lavae passes through various stages to become a butterfly. Mind renewal is not a one-shot deal. Paul's use of the word "renewing" - present tense - suggests that it is an ongoing process and something that the child of God has to undertake every single day. In Christ, we are like the butterfly, but to grow in that new life we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Conformity to the world is an evil behavior which is nothing more than a sinful rebellious attitude towards God, which manifests itself in selfishness as it seeks to please self and turn away from God's truth and will, found in Jesus Christ. If we have a new life in Christ by faith, and if we are new creations in Christ, then it makes no sense to continue living as though we are spiritually dead. Butterflies do not behave like worms! They do not creep or crawl, they fly! Our transformation and the consistent practical application of God's word in our individual lives should result in a reprogramming of our minds that will manifest itself in our actions and attitudes. A submitted life is a disciplined life. A disciplined life is a fruitful life. Anything else is carnal, a counterfeit, and is not of God.

--- From the article - "The Renewing of the Mind".

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Wandering From the Word

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word." (Psalm 119:9-16, The Message)

Even in this age of technological marvels, there are still many people who suffer a deficiency exposed by a telltale sign: a flashing “12:00” on the VCR. Isn’t it odd that a person can operate a motor vehicle at 70 mph, microwave an entire meal in three minutes, and navigate through the Internet’s information superhighway and yet not know how to set a simple clock?

Is the solution so complicated? Is the answer to this riddle so deeply hidden that only a few brave souls dare to seek it out? No, of course not! There is only one reason why this technical tipoff is so common: people do not read the instruction book.

When we purchase a new gizmo or appliance, we always find within the package an instruction book. And, what does this book contain? It has all the answers we need to get the most out of our new purchase.

Do you realize that the Christian life is the same way? Scripture declares that, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are “new creations.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) To get the most out of our new life, we are given an instruction book: the Bible. This is far more than a simple guide that teaches how to act or what to say; this Book tells us exactly how to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Is your Christian walk stuck? Do you have the proverbial “12:00” flashing in your life, indicating that you have set aside your Instruction Book? Pick it up today for a fresh look, and enjoy God’s perfect how-to manual.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.

Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."

Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."

Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."

Mr.Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."

MORAL: have you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will also be loved in return.'

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Peace With God

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

When you talk about your salvation, how many times do you use the word “I”? You might say, “When I came to Christ . . .” or “When I asked Jesus into my heart . . .” for example. Or, depending on your church tradition, you may recall, “When I walked down the aisle in church that day . . .” Of course, since you are reciting your own testimony, there is nothing explicitly wrong with these statements. However, you should stop for a moment and consider the emphasis you place on yourself rather than on God.

Phrases like those mentioned above can give a false impression. In a sense, they lead people to believe that your salvation experience was a type of “meeting in the middle,” whereby you met God halfway. In this scenario, both you and God played equal parts; He did His job and you did your job, with the result being your salvation.

What a tragic lie this is! God did not leave His saving work unfinished, and He did not stop halfway. You see, Christ was not standing at some distant point, waiting for you to catch up to Him. Rather, He was at your side, moment by moment, just waiting for you to see Him.

Your salvation was God’s work, God’s desire, and God’s initiative. He brought eternal life with Him; everything you would ever need was delivered neatly at your feet. When you tell others about Him, be sure to keep the focus where it should be: on Christ, the architect, instigator, workman, and deliverer of your redemption....Early Lights Daily Devotional

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Unshakeable Peace....Philippians 4:5-7

There doesn’t seem to be much peace in the world, does there? Isn’t it amazing how many tragedies a one-minute news report can broadcast? Fighting here, turmoil there . . . where can we hope to find peace in the midst of this mess?

To anyone struggling to find that quiet moment of peace—that secret formula for calm assurance—the answer may be rather surprising. Of course, as believers in Christ Jesus, we know that we should bring our troubles and concerns to Him. He is trustworthy to keep His word and lighten our heavy loads. (Matthew 11:28-30) The question many of us fail to ask, though, is how should we bring Him our concerns?

Too often, believers carry their own burdens for as long as possible, desperately seeking a solution on their own. Then, with a heavy heart and as a final act of desperation, they surrender their woes at the foot of the Cross. They may never even realize what a sad, unbiblical process this is.

You see, our Father does not want us to try and solve our problems before coming to Him. The unscriptural notion of God “helping those who help themselves” has corrupted far too many believers’ problem-solving processes.

God wants us to give up our anxieties immediately, before they can darken our spirits. And we should do this joyfully, knowing our concerns will be handled perfectly by the One who is well-equipped for any circumstance—the One who offers us incomprehensible peace, even during our trials. (Philippians 4:5-7)

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Unending Love



"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

---Romans 8:35-39, KJV)

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Unshakeable Peace...John 14:27

“Do not let your heart be troubled” (John 14:27). This almost seems like an impossible ideal, doesn’t it? Many people read these words of Jesus and scoff, “Well, that was fine back then, but there is just no way to live free of anxiety today.” To those who would raise this objection, let me ask: Is Jesus surprised by your troubles? Do you believe that your difficulties are beyond Jesus’ understanding, or that He could not have imagined the stresses in your life?

The view that any of these are possible would certainly limit Jesus’ sovereignty and infinite knowledge. You must remember that Jesus is not in some far-off place called heaven, simply looking down on us and doing His best to understand our lives. Instead, He stepped down from heaven and walked these streets with us. He knows the troubles of this life because He faced them Himself; in fact, He faced more trouble than we could possibly imagine. (Hebrews 2:17-18)

Why, then, do we often fail to heed His call of peace, rest, and comfort? (Matthew 11:28-30) It is almost as though anxiety has become a close companion to many people, and the thought of surrendering it brings on even more stress.

However, if you want to become the growing, mature, joyous believer the Lord has called you to be, then you must lay down your burdens. Anxiety, quite simply, is the enemy of the peace of God. As long as we hold on to our problems, we cannot pick up the armfuls of peace that Christ so freely offers....Early Light Daily Devotional

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Originally posted by Compry:

However, if you want to become the growing, mature, joyous believer the Lord has called you to be, then you must lay down your burdens. Anxiety, quite simply, is the enemy of the peace of God. As long as we hold on to our problems, we cannot pick up the armfuls of peace that Christ so freely offers....Early Light Daily Devotional

Thanks for sharing this very profound truth. I pray God we will be able to apply same in our daily walk with Him.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

If you look at your problems as problems, they will continue to hold you down. See them instead as blessings in disguise, and that is what they will truly become.

If you treat the challenges as excuses for failure, you'll have plenty of excuses but not much else. Approach those challenges instead as pathways to success, and that is precisely what they will be.

There is more than enough richness in life for all those who are willing to recognize it. That richness most often comes wrapped in challenge so as to keep its value intact.

For if the good things in life had no cost at all, they would not be worth very much. It is the effort, the discipline, the commitment to overcome any challenge, that makes a dream worth reaching.

So whatever stands in the way of your dream is really a blessing in disguise. For when you work your way through it, you arrive at the place you most want to be.-- Ralph Marston

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

Solving Problems Through Prayer
PSALM 105:1-4

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

When problems face us, we frequently try to figure out the solution ourselves. If we can patch it up, glue it down, or tape it on, we attempt to do so. Other times, we’ll call someone to ask for a solution but are actually seeking sympathy and support to make ourselves feel better. Sometimes what we really need is for somebody to say, “Well, I appreciate you calling me, but have you talked to God about it? Have you prayed?”

Solving problems should begin with seeking the Lord before there is a crisis. In times of peace, we will experience the joy and contentedness that comes from worshiping God, reading His Word, and communicating with Him. When we set our hearts toward the Lord, our faith is strengthened, and we develop godly habits that sustain us through trials. We will awaken each morning, thinking about God and talking to Him. We will ask God throughout the day about His plans for us and will act accordingly. Prayer will become our customary response.

Then, whenever we face any kind of problem, our first thought will be “Father.” In that one word, we acknowledge our relationship with Him, our awareness of His presence, and our dependence upon Him. God loves to hear His name on our lips, and He promises to respond to the prayer that follows.

But what if you are presently in the midst of trouble but haven’t been seeking Him consistently? Begin now by humbly confessing this to God. Receive His forgiveness and pray to Him, “Father . . . ” ....Early Light Daily Devotional

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

The Priority of Prayer...Acts 1:14

A few words offered up without much thought–that is what many Christians regard as their "prayer life." Only in times of desperation or great tragedy is any thought put into the words spoken to the God of the universe.

Prayer is so much more than that. It is when we communicate with God, sharing with Him our hearts as He shares His with us. And then we respond to what He says, walking in the direction that He desires for us to go.

Instead of being an afterthought to our ragged days, prayer should be a constant. It should be the element of our lives that we establish and maintain with as much diligence as we do getting up in the morning.

Not only did Jesus spend a large portion of His teaching ministry talking about the importance of prayer, He also modeled a life of prayer, escaping often to the mountaintop to commune with God. In our desire to become more like Christ, we can imitate His actions as much as His words. And His actions speak much louder than words in this case.

Jesus realized it was imperative to maintain a constant relationship with His heavenly Father if He was going to obey Him. And He knew that no matter what happened, God would hear Him.

"He hears the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:29).

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

A God of Grace...ROMANS 5:15-17

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

Imagine being approached with this inquiry: “I don’t know anything about God. Would you describe Him to me?” How would you explain what God is like? When the conversation is over, how would the person walk away . . . discouraged about ever having a relationship with the Lord? Or confident and assured about being able to have a permanent, personal relationship with God?

There is a lot of confusion, even among believers, about who God is. Some, thinking He’s a God of judgment and vengeance, live in fear of Him. Some believe we can be saved but then can be lost again. That belief can leave us doubting and afraid, wondering exactly what would cause God to stop loving us.

Scripture reveals the truth: He is the God of grace. Grace is God’s goodness and kindness that is lavishly shown toward us, and it has two amazing qualities. First, it is given to us regardless of whether we deserve it. Our good works or stellar personal qualities cannot bring us God’s grace, nor can our failures cause God to withdraw it. We look at grades, scorecards, and performance appraisals in determining who receives what, but God does not look at merit. Amazing but true.

Secondly, grace is given freely to us. There is no cost. Our world does not operate this way, but our God does through Jesus Christ. Not only at the point of salvation but throughout our Christian life, we are invited to “come as we are,” acknowledge our sinfulness, and receive forgiveness and God’s grace.

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

As long as a person doesn't admit he is defeated, he is not defeated -- he's just a little behind and isn't through fighting.

--- Darrell Royal

[DC]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection III

People get uncomfortable around Jesus because He doesn’t fit into the way they see things, plan things, and do things. With our natural minds, we can never really understand what Jesus is all about. When we place Him next to our human plumb lines, He appears to be on a slant to the way we function; when we put a level next to Him, He looks out of balance to the way we react; when we put a ruler on Him, He doesn’t seem to measure up to the way we go about our business. Jesus’ entire life has been an enigma to many. The natural mind asks, “How could a prince be born outside a palace, a teacher have no degree, a king have no army, a ruler have no place to lay his head, and a miracle worker be unable to come down from a cross?”

When we see the way that Jesus responded to His disciples as they gathered for the Passover, we are once again amazed at His behavior. Even Peter could not fully grasp it. Peter saw himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master. “Why” he questioned, “would my Master take the place of a slave and wash my feet?” Peter had been with Jesus for more than three years but still had many things to learn. As Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was doing far more than teaching them a lesson in humility; He was demonstrating to them what was at the heart of the Kingdom of God. The message of the Kingdom is that every follower of Jesus Christ carries a towel and washbasin with him into every circumstance and relationship in life. Jesus showed us that the Kingdom of God is “upside down” to the way the world operates.

In the Kingdom of God…
…a person is lifted up by humbling himself, not by exalting himself in the eyes of others.
…strength is found through weakness, not by being confident in your own abilities.
…fullness comes by becoming empty, not by running after pleasure.
…life is gained by losing it, not by looking out for “number one.”
…riches come by giving them away, not by storing them up.
…greatness comes by becoming a servant, not by seeking power and celebrity.

Roy Lessin