Hit the play button and turn the page of life
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1 June 2012
Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. (Ephesians 3:12 NLT)
God has given us permission to fearlessly, confidently, and bodly draw near to His throne of grace. In fact, we are encouraged in Ephesians 3:12 to approach Him freely.This means we can go into the presence of God anytime we feel like it. We can go 200 times a day if we want to go, with an “in and out” type of privilege. God doesn’t even tell us we have to knock on the door or wait for someone to say, “Come in.”
Suppose you have a friend who says, “You know what? You can come over anytime you want to come. You don’t even have to knock because you are welcome anytime, day or night. Just come on in!”
Now just think…God is saying that to you, unreservedly, which means you don’t have to be careful or hesitate or wonder if you’ve worn out your welcome. It means even if you make some mistakes or do things you shouldn’t do, you can repent of your sins, be cleansed in the blood of Jesus, and go boldly into His presence.
Prayer Starter: Lord, how wonderful it is to be able to enter Your presence anytime. I am so grateful for this privilege, and and thank You for encouraging me to come.
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31 May 2012
What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9 NLT)
The Bible says that Jesus experienced death for us. So you and I do not have to experience eternal death because He has paid the penalty for our sin and given us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something to rejoice about!
Because of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death, what happens when you wake up in the morning? I believe that when Christians put their feet on the floor in the morning, hell ought to shake. Demons should tremble when they realize we’re up!
That’s exactly what will happen when we realize who we are in Christ and understand the authority we have in Him. We are soldiers in the army of God. We have authority in Him!
Jesus has defeated sin and death. Now we need to consistently walk in the authority and victory that He provides for us. Then you will be extremely dangerous to the enemy of God.
Prayer Starter: God, thank You for the victory I have in You. Every day, help me to further understand the price You paid for me, so that I can walk in all the authority and victory that You have for me.
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For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)
God wants to lead you into your promised land…after all, you have been recreated in Christ, born anew, that you might live the good life that God prearranged for you. But to follow God into that life, He will have to prepare you first, and that means some things will need to change.
Now, don’t be afraid of the word change; it just means that you stop doing some things you’ve been doing and start doing some things you haven’t been doing. For example, stop thinking negative thoughts and start thinking positively, stop settling in your comfort zone and step out of the boat, stop procrastinating and start taking the opportunities that arise.
It’s not enough to just read about and talk about the Promised Land. Decide that you are going to possess your promised land. God is good; He will lead you there. Just be willing to follow and accept the positive changes that God wants to bring to your life as He prepares you to be a blessing to others.
Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, show me the changes I need to make in order to possess my promised land. Thank You for preparing me to be a blessing to others and fulfill the destiny You have for me.
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Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. (Romans 13:8 NLT)
It’s important for us to understand that the battle for our finances is really a spiritual battle. The enemy tempts us to spend more than we are able to pay off so he can keep us under pressure and distracted from our walk with God.
But we need to have a goal to enjoy the life that Jesus died to give us, a life of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We can’t do that if we are under pressure and frustrated by financial debt.
It’s possible to live debt free by using biblical principles for managing money. My husband, Dave, says that if we learn to live within our income, or our borders, then God will bless us, our borders will be stretched, and we’ll have more. Luke 19:17 tells us that God is pleased when we are faithful and trustworthy in little things. When we are, it says He will give us authority over bigger things.
So don’t fall into the trap of trying to live “bigger” than what God’s entrusted you with. Stay out of debt by living within your boundaries…then watch God expand them.
Prayer Starter: God, I want to win the spiritual battle over my finances, and I’m starting by refusing to live in debt. I will not give in to temptation to spend what I don’t have. Instead, I will be faithful with the boundaries that You have given me.
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Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8 NLT)
I want you to notice something about the verse above. Notice that we are told to draw near to God before we’re told to stop sinning.
There are so many people who have it backwards. They think they can never come to God, can never have a relationship with Him, and can never be a Christian because they have issues in their life that they are trying to overcome first. They are trying to get themselves all straightened out so they can be good enough to have a relationship with Him.
But that’s wrong. The reason Jesus came is because we can never be good enough without Him. We have to have Jesus in our life. His death, His shed blood, paid for our sins, paid the debt that we owed.
There’s no way we can be cleansed of sin until we draw near to God through the name of Jesus. God longs for you to come close to Him today. Don’t stay away, believing the lie that you must clean yourself of sin first. Instead, go to God, already cleansed by the sacrifice Jesus made for you.
Prayer Starter: God, I refuse to believe the lie that says that I have to be sinless before I can come to You. Coming to You through the blood of Your Son cleanses me of my sin. I refuse to live in shame and know that I can draw near to You now, receiving Your love and forgiveness.
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Every good and perfect gift comes from above - James 1:17 - designed by Ryan Miranda.
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