Entangled

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affairs, Bondage, Bound, Entangled, Entanglement, grace, Sweetness, war, world

2 Timothy 2:4

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

As we’ve talked about previously, the devil is after our faith.  He knows that if he can get us to step away from our faith in the promises of God, we won’t see them manifest in our lives.  He therefore uses the affairs of this life to entangle us and hinder us.  But thank God Jesus came to set us free from the devil and everything that he uses to entangled us.

When you are entangled, you are caught up in something that has you bound.  While some parts of you may be free, you’re unable to free yourself from the trap.  The place of entanglement is the mind. We can become so preoccupied mentally with the things of this life that we’re not focused on the things of God. It’s impossible for us to do what we’re commissioned to do when our minds are entangled.  As believers our one focus should be going into all the world with the gospel of Christ and the love of God.  Because the only way to change the hearts of men is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Politics, rules, and laws won’t change men’s hearts only Jesus Christ the Son of the living God can give men a new heart.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”  When a man’s heart is new, he has the ability to live a new life. His old way of living is passed away and all things have become new.

Paul admonished the believers in Galatians 5:1 to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  The reason being is that God doesn’t want His people to go back and be entangled in anything He has brought them out of.  God wants us free.  The Galatians had become entangled in the law even though they were now under the new covenant of grace.   And because of that they lost the sweetness and blessedness of grace.  As believers when we become entangled in the affairs of this life, we too can lose the sweetness of grace and our effectiveness as salt and light in the world.    While this doesn’t mean that we’re not involved in the world, it simply means that even in our involvement our focus should be to bring souls to the loving arms of our Father God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s Good To Give Thanks!

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Appreciate, Bless, blessings, grace, Thanks, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Psalms 92:1-2

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high; To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and they faithfulness every night.”

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks.  As you gather with your family and friends to give thanks remember it’s all about God.  Don’t focus on the negative things of the past but on the wonderful blessings of God.

Psalm 103:2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Well, what are those benefits?  The psalmist goes on to say, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles” (Ps. 103:3-5).  Wow! When we consider all these blessings we can’t help but give thanks.

When you give thanks for what God has done for you, you are giving thanks for those things that you have yet to see.  Whatever God says is done in the now and He doesn’t alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth (Ps. 89:34).  While you are giving thanks give thanks for those things that are yet seen.   Being thankful releases more grace in your life.  Think about this, when you do something for someone and they show their appreciation by saying thank you, it causes you to want to bless them again.

Therefore, as you give thanks to God for His blessings this season don’t forget to say thank you to those that God has used to be a blessing in your life.  “Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 107:1).

Let Grace Supply!

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efforts, grace, need, Receive, supply, Trust, works

2 Corinthians 12:9
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness…”

When we come to God for salvation we come totally depending upon him to save us.  We realize that we need a savior and that we can’t save ourselves so we look to Jesus Christ and the finish work of Calvary and we receive what He has done.

Well, the same way we come to God to receive eternal life is the same way we must receive all the blessings and promises that accompany our salvation.  Simply receive.  There need not be any effort on our part.  The grace of God is sufficient to meet our needs and to perform miracles in our lives.  Grace shows up in our weakness.  In other words, when you come to the end of your ability grace is there.  When you throw your hands up grace is there.  When you gone your last mile grace is there.  When you cried what seems like your last tear grace is there. When you’ve spent your last dime grace is there.  His strength is made perfect weakness.

Remember Elijah and the widow woman she was at her last when Elijah asked her to make him a cake first.  “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse and, behold, I am gathering two sticks that I may go and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die” (I Kings 17:11-12).   When she completely let go and gave what she thought would be her last meal God’s grace sufficiently supplied for her, her son, and Elijah.

Child of God, His grace is sufficient for you today. Whatever the need, ask and then simply receive.

Always Sweet

Tags

Forgiveness, grace, Let go of the pass, love, move forward, Sweet, Sweetness

Matthew 9:17

“Neither do men put, new wine into old bottles else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

God never wants us to have mixture of old and new or law and grace in our lives.  That’s why He did away with the old to give us His new covenant of grace.  When we revert back to the old covenant in any measure we are mixing the old with the new which cause the new to lose its sweetness.

To preserve the sweetness of the juice people would strain or boil the juice, bottle it and place it in a cool area.  Fresh wineskins were required because they would be free from all residual fermenting matter such as mature yeast cells.  If placed in old wineskins, new wine would more easily begin to ferment because of the yeast cells which remained in the old wineskins thus causing the loss of the new wine and the wineskins.  Therefore, the old was done away with so that the new alone would remain.  The new covenant of grace retains its sweetness when it is grace and grace alone, no mixture.

In order to receive all the new from the grace of God, you must first receive His grace for the old.  You must first receive grace for your old life in order to receive a new life in Christ.  This means receiving grace for all you pass mistakes, failures and hurts. Yes, hurts.  Hurts can hide deep inside you and can fester for years when you don’t receive God’s grace of forgiveness.  God forgives us and He gives us His grace to forgive one another and ourselves.  As a believer if you are not receiving God’s grace to forgive you’re mixing the old with the new and the new has lost its sweetness to you. How? When you allow unforgiveness to live in you, you lose your peace and joy.  You no longer taste the sweetness of grace because of the old.  Maybe you’re gone through divorce and you’ve never let go of the hurt.  God’s grace is there to heal you of all the pass mistakes, failures and hurts.  Or maybe you’ve been offended by people who said they were your friends and you’re finding it hard to make new friends.  Luke 5:39 says “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, the old is better.” God himself forgives us our sins and remembers them no more so that all that remain is our new life in Christ and He gives us the grace to do the same because He wants that new relationship to always be sweet.  It will be when there is no remembrance of the old.  Love knows nothing against. Love lets go of the old to retain the sweetness of grace.

Cry Out To Draw Out

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Ask, Cry, Cry out, Draw out, grace, Jesus, power, pray, prayer, Receive

Mark 10:50-51

“And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?  The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.”

Everywhere Jesus went there was someone pressing upon Him to receive something from Him and Bartimaeus, was no different.

As Jesus was leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus was sitting by the highway begging as he usually did every day he had no idea that that day would forever change his life. 

When Bartimaeus heard the noise of the crowd he asked the reason for the noise and when they told him it was Jesus he began to do something that turned heads, he cried out.  Mark 10:47 “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.”  The scripture says that many told him to hold his peace but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me (Mark 10:48).  His cries didn’t go out in vain it got Jesus attention.  “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called…” (Mark 10:49).  When Bartimaeus was told he got Jesus attention, he cast away his garment, got up and went to Jesus.  And Jesus said unto him “what wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”   Bartimaeus received his sight because he called upon the one who was passing by.

Today, Jesus is not just passing by but He lives in you. He walks with you and talks with you.  He’s given us His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5).  But like Bartimaeus we have to cast away our garments, our righteousness, our way, our works, our life and receive what He came to give us, His righteousness, His way, His works, His life.

When we cry out to Him, He gives us the same answer He gave Bartimaeus, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?”  The one whose sole purpose is to bless you is asking you today What do you want me to do for you?   There were many in Bartimaeus’s day that had needs but they didn’t cry out, to draw out what was in Jesus to give.

Beloved, you are not alone on this journey, Jesus is with you.   Whatever you need today cry out to Him and He will pour out to you whatever you ask of Him.

God Knows Your Name

Tags

Ask, Daughters, Father, given, grace, Name, Receive, Son

Exodus 33:17

“And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.”

It doesn’t matter how many children you may have you know each one by name.  Even if you have more than one child and you confuse the name of one child with the name of other, still you know each of your children by name.  Likewise, God knows each of us by name but unlike us He will never forget or get us confused with one another.

When God called Moses out of the burning bush He called Him by name because He knew Moses, Moses was His child.  And here God says to Moses “I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou has found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.” Simply because Moses found grace in God’s sight and God knew him by name God would show Moses His glory.

For the very same reasons God will do the things that we’ve asked Him to do because He has given us His grace and we are His children and He knows us by name.  Matthew 7:11 says “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

The grace of God is Jesus Christ, it is because of His finished work that we are the sons and daughters of God, that He calls us by name and we call Him Father.  Therefore, whatever you ask for He will do it.

It’s Good To Give Thanks!

Tags

Appreciate, Bless, blessings, grace, Thanks, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Psalms 92:1-2

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high; To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and they faithfulness every night.”

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks.  As you gather with your family and friends to give thanks remember it’s all about God.  Don’t focus on the negative things of the past but on the wonderful blessings of God.

Psalm 103:2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Well, what are those benefits?  The psalmist goes on to say, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles” (Ps. 103:3-5).  Wow! When we consider all these blessings we can’t help but give thanks.

When you give thanks for what God has done for you, you are giving thanks for those things that you have yet to see.  Whatever God says is done in the now and He doesn’t alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth (Ps. 89:34).  While you are giving thanks give thanks for those things that are yet seen.   Being thankful releases more grace in your life.  Think about this, when you do something for someone and they show their appreciation by saying thank you, it causes you to want to bless them again.

Therefore, as you give thanks to God for His blessings this season don’t forget to say thank you to those that God has used to be a blessing in your life.  “Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 107:1).

Don’t Frustrate Grace!

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blessings, free, frustrate, grace, healing, health, prosperity

Galatians 2:21

“I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Whenever I find myself being frustrated about something, I know that it is because I have allowed myself to move from grace to works.  God’s grace is what He freely gives to us regardless of whether or not we deserve it.  And since He freely gives it we can never earn it.

Therefore, we become frustrated when we try to earn what is freely given.  In all our efforts of trying to obtain the blessing of God through our works, we still come up empty handed because we’re not receiving what God is giving.  Paul tells the church in Galatians that they were foolish and bewitched (Gal. 3:1).  It’s foolish to think you can work for what someone is giving to you for free.  The devil is always trying to deceive God’s people into thinking that God is not that good.  To believe that God wants you to work for His blessings makes God out to be harsh and unkind.  God knows that we would never be able to reach His requirements that’s why it would be harsh and unkind.  But thank God that Jesus has meant all the requirements necessary for us to receive the blessings of God.  Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law and release us to the blessings of Abraham (Gal. 3:13-14).

Therefore, stop frustrating the grace of God that’s flowing in your life by trying to earn what has been freely given.  You’re efforts can’t bring prosperity, nor can they bring good health.  Your efforts will only hinder those things from flowing in your life.  Don’t be deceived it’s not by works but  by the faith of the Son of God that we are prosperous, healed, and blessed.

God’s Grace Abounds Towards You!

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abounding grace, abounds, deliverance, favor, God, grace, help, Jesus, love, provision

2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

Nothing can stop God’s grace towards you, nothing.  God is able to cause His grace to continuously increase in your life so that no matter what crops up in your life His grace is there to provide.  In other words you will never be without His grace.

Here is what this really means to us.  It means that unemployment can’t stop His grace of provision; sickness can’t stop His grace of healing; depression can’t stop His grace of joy and tribulation and persecution can’t stop His grace of deliverance.  Nothing can stop His grace from flowing in your life.  Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”  Paul goes on to say in verse 37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that love us.”  God commended His love toward us when He gave us His Son and God doesn’t give and take back. Even amidst all these things God’s grace abounds towards us.

Therefore, stop thinking that God doesn’t see, hear and know your situation.  He does and He is providing for you.  Throughout Israel’s journey in the wilderness God’s grace was abounding towards them.  Their clothes didn’t get old, their shoes didn’t wear out, and they had food to eat and water to drink right in the midst of the desert because God’s grace was abounding towards them. But they were too busy complaining instead of looking for God’s grace.

Take the time today to see how God’s grace is abounding toward you in your situation. If you are unemployed and believing for a job, don’t look at what you don’t have, look for God’s grace instead.  See how God’s grace is providing for you in the midst of your situation.  When you do you will see that you always having all sufficiency in all things are able to abound in every good work.

Is God Trying To Get Your Attention?

Tags

Attention, Burning Bush, Focus, grace, Sight

Exodus 3:2-3

“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

When Moses fled from Pharaoh the scripture says “And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter” (Exd. 2:21).  The key is Moses was content to stay where he didn’t belong.  God wanted to give Moses more than what he had in the land of Midian but first He had to get Moses attention in order for him to leave Midian.

To get Moses attention God appeared to him in a miraculous way.  God didn’t make Moses sick to get his attention nor did He cause some financial crisis, He appeared to Moses in the midst of a burning bush. And remember Moses was in a place where God didn’t lead him.  Still, God didn’t cause some kind of tragedy to get Moses out of there.   No, God used the miraculous to get Moses attention and He uses the miraculous in our lives so that there’s no mistaking who He is.  It’s only the enemy that uses sickness, disease, and death to get our attention.  God doesn’t need to use such weak and pitiful things, after all He is God and He knows each of us by name and He can call us by name at any time.  Instead God does things in such a way that we can only say “that was nobody but God.”

It’s in the places where God’s abundant grace is poured out where God is waiting for you to turn aside and see Him.  He’s just that good!