But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.Revelation 21:8 NLT
How many times do we NOT do something because we are afraid? Years ago, my pastor taught a series called "ALL IN" based in Joshua - "Be strong and very courageous..." Today, I read an excerpt that ties in so well with strong and courageous. It's from Max Lucado's "Fearless" and I'm going to share it here with you:
************
Fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness.
Happiness complies and leaves.
Do you ever see the two together?
Can one be happy and afraid at the same time?
Clear thinking and afraid?
Confident and afraid?
Merciful and afraid?
No.
Fear never wrote a symphony or poem,
[never] negotiated a peace treaty,
or cured a disease.
Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry.
Fear never saved a marriage or a business.
Courage did that.
*************
God instructs Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9 NLT
Prayer:
Father,
Our hope, our faith, our trust is in You and You alone. You are our strength, our shield, our fortress, our strong tower. We will follow Your command to be strong and courageous, and we choose also to NOT be afraid or discouraged. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Showing posts with label Strong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strong. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Advent - Day Three
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15 NIV
*****************************Prayer:
Father,
Hebrews 4:15 NIV
The God Who is with Us - by Ronnie Martin (see info at the end of this post)
Most of us have likely had the experience of a person who, for whatever reason, was not able to sympathize very well with us. As amazing as some of our close friends are when it comes to sympathizing with our weaknesses and temptations, they will never hold a candle to how deeply and perfectly Jesus is able to sympathize with us.
Pause on that for a moment, if you would. We have a high priest, an intercessor who sits at the right hand of our heavenly Father. What we do not have is One who has separated Himself from the anguish of our humanness. What separated Jesus from the Israelite high priests is that He walked in the same shoes as the people He ministered to but did so as the sinless Son of God.
Imagine what this means for you and me who are confronted with an endless cycle of hard-to-resist temptations that are as relentless as they are irresistible. Imagine what this means as you consider your beloved friend and high priest. It means that Jesus, the spotless lamb who came to atone for the sins of the world, “gets you.” One of the things we look for in a friend is someone who “gets us.” They know us for who we are so there’s no need for any posturing. We can be vulnerable because we have a friend in our corner who suspends judgment and just listens. We don’t have to feel shame because we have someone who sees us and accepts us even at our absolute lowest.
Of course, there are limitations to this because none of our friends can sympathize with us without sin. So imagine, for a moment, someone like Jesus knowing exactly what you went through because He went through it too but didn’t give in to the temptation like you and I do. Because He never gave in to the temptation, He has a particular, one-of-a-kind heart for you that is untainted by the sin your human friends are susceptible to. It means His love for you is unprocessed. It means His compassion for you is full. It means His joy for you is boundless. It means His forgiveness for you is all-encompassing. As much as others can sympathize with your weaknesses, they can’t offer you what Jesus our high priest can offer. This is the kind of high priestly friendship you need.
Now consider this: the sympathetic and empathetic heart of Jesus. In every respect, He has gone through what you have gone through. In all the ways you have failed when it comes to temptation, He has been faithful. His faithfulness is the very thing that covers your shame-filled failures, paper-thin faith, and Mount Everest-like fears.
In all your inabilities and instabilities, He is able and willing to stand close.
In all your insecurities and vulnerabilities, He is able and willing to stay close.
Like a shepherd who will carry you forever...
Most of us have likely had the experience of a person who, for whatever reason, was not able to sympathize very well with us. As amazing as some of our close friends are when it comes to sympathizing with our weaknesses and temptations, they will never hold a candle to how deeply and perfectly Jesus is able to sympathize with us.
Pause on that for a moment, if you would. We have a high priest, an intercessor who sits at the right hand of our heavenly Father. What we do not have is One who has separated Himself from the anguish of our humanness. What separated Jesus from the Israelite high priests is that He walked in the same shoes as the people He ministered to but did so as the sinless Son of God.
Imagine what this means for you and me who are confronted with an endless cycle of hard-to-resist temptations that are as relentless as they are irresistible. Imagine what this means as you consider your beloved friend and high priest. It means that Jesus, the spotless lamb who came to atone for the sins of the world, “gets you.” One of the things we look for in a friend is someone who “gets us.” They know us for who we are so there’s no need for any posturing. We can be vulnerable because we have a friend in our corner who suspends judgment and just listens. We don’t have to feel shame because we have someone who sees us and accepts us even at our absolute lowest.
Of course, there are limitations to this because none of our friends can sympathize with us without sin. So imagine, for a moment, someone like Jesus knowing exactly what you went through because He went through it too but didn’t give in to the temptation like you and I do. Because He never gave in to the temptation, He has a particular, one-of-a-kind heart for you that is untainted by the sin your human friends are susceptible to. It means His love for you is unprocessed. It means His compassion for you is full. It means His joy for you is boundless. It means His forgiveness for you is all-encompassing. As much as others can sympathize with your weaknesses, they can’t offer you what Jesus our high priest can offer. This is the kind of high priestly friendship you need.
Now consider this: the sympathetic and empathetic heart of Jesus. In every respect, He has gone through what you have gone through. In all the ways you have failed when it comes to temptation, He has been faithful. His faithfulness is the very thing that covers your shame-filled failures, paper-thin faith, and Mount Everest-like fears.
In all your inabilities and instabilities, He is able and willing to stand close.
In all your insecurities and vulnerabilities, He is able and willing to stay close.
Like a shepherd who will carry you forever...
*****************************
Father,
Thank You that no temptation has overtaken us except what is common to mankind. And You are faithful; You will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when we are tempted, You will also provide a way out so that we can endure it, according to Your Word. Help us to stand firmly and walk straight in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
*****************************
“Immanuel. God with us.” We know that God sent His Son, but what does that mean for our lives now? In this plan, Ronnie Martin walks us through what it means for God to be with us...
We would like to thank B&H Publishing for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.bhpublishinggroup.com
“Immanuel. God with us.” We know that God sent His Son, but what does that mean for our lives now? In this plan, Ronnie Martin walks us through what it means for God to be with us...
We would like to thank B&H Publishing for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.bhpublishinggroup.com
Saturday, June 9, 2018
More Than > Less Than
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NKJV
What is the first word to come to your mind when you make a mistake or forget something? What is your perception of yourself as a human being - Is your focus on strengths first or weaknesses?
I have noticed that generally, the first word out of someone's mouth when they make a mistake or forget something is one of three in their self-talk: Dummy. Stupid. Idiot. On top of that, self-perception usually focuses on inadequacies, flaws, weaknesses. Bottom line. We're human. We have all of those and often it makes us feel 'less than'.
Although, if we're purposefully following Christ, our identity should be in Him. However, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can look in a mirror and see the 'fearfully and wonderfully made' person in their reflection. (King David, Psalm 139:14)
It's perfectly okay to be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, as long as we recognize and walk in the grace of God and His love which enable us to overcome. But in being that honest about weaknesses, let's not buy into the subtleties of the enemy of our soul whose goal it is to keep our focus on our 'less thans'. Remember, he wants to kill, steal and destroy our lives and purpose.
The point I want to make is this - let's be sure when we experience those weaknesses that we remember (or seek out) the Truths that are written in His Word. For starters - in our weakness, God is strength (see 2nd Corinthians 12). (If you want/need more examples, Google "We say God says".)
If God is in it, we will win it! He makes us more than our less thans... because He is.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for making provision for our every need - spiritual, physical, financial. Your love is overwhelming and overwhelmingly good. Teach us to trust You in ALL things and help us to get our Truths from Your Word only. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Romans 8:37 NKJV
What is the first word to come to your mind when you make a mistake or forget something? What is your perception of yourself as a human being - Is your focus on strengths first or weaknesses?
I have noticed that generally, the first word out of someone's mouth when they make a mistake or forget something is one of three in their self-talk: Dummy. Stupid. Idiot. On top of that, self-perception usually focuses on inadequacies, flaws, weaknesses. Bottom line. We're human. We have all of those and often it makes us feel 'less than'.
Although, if we're purposefully following Christ, our identity should be in Him. However, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can look in a mirror and see the 'fearfully and wonderfully made' person in their reflection. (King David, Psalm 139:14)
It's perfectly okay to be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, as long as we recognize and walk in the grace of God and His love which enable us to overcome. But in being that honest about weaknesses, let's not buy into the subtleties of the enemy of our soul whose goal it is to keep our focus on our 'less thans'. Remember, he wants to kill, steal and destroy our lives and purpose.
The point I want to make is this - let's be sure when we experience those weaknesses that we remember (or seek out) the Truths that are written in His Word. For starters - in our weakness, God is strength (see 2nd Corinthians 12). (If you want/need more examples, Google "We say God says".)
If God is in it, we will win it! He makes us more than our less thans... because He is.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for making provision for our every need - spiritual, physical, financial. Your love is overwhelming and overwhelmingly good. Teach us to trust You in ALL things and help us to get our Truths from Your Word only. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Monday, January 26, 2015
Strong AND Courageous +
But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
Revelation 21:8 NLT
I've been thinking about this verse for two days. How many times do we not do something because we are afraid? My pastor just finished teaching a series called "ALL IN" based in Joshua - Be strong and very courageous...
Today, I read an excerpt from Max Lucado's "Fearless" and I'm going to share it here with you.
Revelation 21:8 NLT
I've been thinking about this verse for two days. How many times do we not do something because we are afraid? My pastor just finished teaching a series called "ALL IN" based in Joshua - Be strong and very courageous...
Today, I read an excerpt from Max Lucado's "Fearless" and I'm going to share it here with you.
Fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness.
Happiness complies and leaves.
Do you ever see the two together?
Can one be happy and afraid at the same time?
Can one be happy and afraid at the same time?
Clear thinking and afraid?
Confident and afraid?
Merciful and afraid?
No.
Fear never wrote a symphony or poem,
[never] negotiated a peace treaty,
or cured a disease.
Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry.
Fear never saved a marriage or a business.
Courage did that.
God instructs Joshua, Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:7-9 NLT
Prayer:
Father,
Our hope, our faith, our trust is in You and You alone. You are our strength, our shield, our fortress, our strong tower. We will follow Your command to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid or discouraged. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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