Remembering How It Used to Be

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

People frequently ask me where I get the ideas for the Promise. I think God brings every day of our lives into His keeping. Therefore, everyday situations are not something that happen apart from our Christianity, but rather an opportunity to grow and mature - and to recognize the presence of God in every moment. Now with all that seemingly serious profundity, I'll tell you that today's Promise came from thinking about cleaning the coils on my refrigerator.

I'll spare you the gory details... Used to be, when I worked construction, I actually started as a painter. As an apprentice, you don't get to roll right away, you have to cut in and do baseboards and trim. Crawl around for most of the day, up and down the ladder. Great cardio, but boring. I was thinking about all that, and about how we used to knock out 2 to 3 apartments a day (determined by how many bedrooms)...all that crawling and all that up and down. Used to be, I could do that without even giving it a thought. However, cleaning coils on the refrigerator took an engineering epiphany just to get TO the floor; never mind, getting back up.

Used to be, I played competition volleyball. Used to be, I could carry 2 five-gallon buckets of paint up 3 flights of stairs and not even be winded. Used to be, I could lift 100-pound sacks of flour without batting an eye. Now there are days I'd better grab the 5-pound bag just right, or I'm gonna drop it.

As I was writing my own Book of Lamentations in my mind, while trying to get UP off the floor after cleaning the coils on my refrigerator, the Lord reminded me about how it used to be. Used to be when I worked construction, I was drunk by 6 o'clock on Friday night and stayed drunk until Sunday night and spent 3 days recovering, so I could start again the next weekend. Now, I get high on worshipping the Lord.

Used to be when I was lifting 100-pound sacks of flour, I was quietly going out of my mind because of the pain in my soul and the torment in my mind. Now, I fight the powers of hell and live in peace because my mind is stayed on Him.

Used to be...oh, really! Why go there? 

Used to be doesn't live here anymore... and I thank God for it every day. Praise His Holy Name!

Prayer:

Father,

          You overwhelm me with Your love and Your care. I have never done anything worthy to be called Your child and yet, You chose me to be Yours. O for a thousand tongues to sing praises to You! Help me to always see You in every moment of my life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Promise for Today Favorite - The Way I Am

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them.
Titus 2:12-15a NLT

“I was born this way.”
“I’ve always been like this.”
“That’s just the way I am!”

We’ve all heard these statements at one time or another…probably coming from our own mouths and usually as an excuse for our behavior. Although one or more may be factual, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, these statements no longer have anything to do with you. "Used to be" doesn't live here anymore...

You may have been “born that way” – but as a follower of Christ, you have been born again. For starters, let's look at 2nd Corinthians 5:17 NLT, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

And if you’ve “always been like this” – then it’s high time for a transformation. Romans 12: 1-2 NKJV, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
There’s no time left to excuse our acceptance and tolerance of any of our ways that are not God’s ways. The Great I AM did not make excuses for us – He made provision for us through the Cross and the Blood of His Son. According to Scripture, we are called to do no less.

Matthew 10:38, "If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine."

Mark 8:34, "Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.' "

So much for “that's just the way I am”… How about we do it The Way of the Great I AM?

Prayer:

Father,
           Shine Your Light of Truth in our lives. Expose the dangerous deceptions in the guise of acceptance and tolerance. Forgive us for the complacency we have allowed in our lives. Help us learn to righteously wield the Sword of Truth in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

*This is My Story - Used to Be

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

You've heard it before. My testimony. However, the apostle Paul told his story everywhere he went. I'm telling part of mine again. 

People frequently ask me where I get the ideas for the Promise. I think God brings every day of our lives into His keeping. Therefore, everyday situations are not something that happen apart from our Christianity, but rather an opportunity to grow and mature - and to recognize the presence of God in every moment. Now with all that seemingly serious profundity, I'll tell you that today's Promise came from thinking about cleaning the coils on my refrigerator.

I'll spare you the gory details... Used to be, when I worked construction, I actually started as a painter. As an apprentice, you don't get to roll right away, you have to cut in and do baseboards and trim. Crawl around for most of the day, up and down the ladder. Great cardio, but boring. I was thinking about all that, and about how we used to knock out 2 to 3 apartments a day (determined by how many bedrooms)...all that crawling and all that up and down. Used to be, I could do that without even giving it a thought. However, cleaning coils on the refrigerator took an engineering epiphany just to get TO the floor; never mind, getting back up.

Used to be, I played competition volleyball. Used to be, I could carry 2 five-gallon buckets of paint up 3 flights of stairs and not even be winded. Used to be, I could lift 100-pound sacks of flour without batting an eye. Now there are days I'd better grab the 5-pound bag just right, or I will drop it.

As I was writing my own Book of Lamentations in my mind, while trying to get UP off the floor after cleaning the coils on my refrigerator, the Lord reminded me about how it used to be. Used to be when I worked construction, I was drunk by 6 o'clock on Friday night and stayed drunk until Sunday night and spent 3 days recovering, so I could start the whole process again the next weekend. Now, I get high on worshipping the Lord.

Used to be when I was lifting 100-pound sacks of flour, I was quietly going out of my mind because of the pain in my soul and the torment in my mind. Now, I battle the powers of hell and live in peace because my mind is stayed on Him.

Used to be...oh, really! Why go there? 

Used to be doesn't live here anymore... and I thank God for that every day. Praise His Holy Name!

Prayer:

Father,
          You overwhelm me with Your love and Your care. I have never done anything worthy to be called Your child and yet, You chose me to be Yours. O for a thousand tongues to sing praises to You! Help me to always see You in every moment of my life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

*The Way I Am

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them.

Titus 2:12-15a NLT

“I was born this way.”

“I’ve always been like this.”

“That’s just the way I am!”

We’ve all heard these statements at one time or another…probably from our own mouths. Usually as an excuse for our behavior. Although one or more may be factual, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, these statements no longer have anything to do with you. "Used to be" don't live here any more...

You may have been “born that way” – but as a follower of Christ, you have been born again. For starters, let's look at 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 NLT, This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And if you’ve “always been like this” – then it’s high time for a transformation. Romans 12: 1-2 NKJV, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

There’s no time left to excuse our acceptance and tolerance of any of our ways that are not God’s ways. The Great I AM did not make excuses for us – He made provision for us through the Cross and the Blood of His Son. According to Scripture, we are called to do no less. 

Matthew 10:38, If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Mark 8:34, Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

So much for “that's just the way I am”… How about we do it The Way of the Great I AM?

Prayer:

Father,
          Shine Your Light of Truth in our lives. Expose the dangerous deceptions in the guise of acceptance and tolerance. Forgive us for the complacency we have allowed in our lives. Help us learn to righteously wield the Sword of Truth in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen