"But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you." Psalm 9:7-10 (NLT)
We're living in what may seem to be a very volatile and and tumultuous time of dynamic change. It's a moment in time that has every needed ingredient to provoke indignation, repulsion or disabling fear...
...but one thing I feel confident in pointing to in the midst of all of it is ... that your reaction to any of it will be based on what you truly believe and who you're listening to.
I quite literally believe that we're living in the last of the last days. As time goes on, I'm convinced that things will likely get worse. That's why how we handle life on a daily basis, where we put our trust, and who we look to as we go forward will become ever more important. It's easy to get overloaded and over run emotionally by subjecting yourself to the all of the negative of the world and if that's what you're tuned in to, you need to understand that it has the power to not only affect you emotionally and physically, but to own you if you let it ... and for a confessed follower of Christ that could be a very serious problem.
"But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ." Hebrews 3:6 (NLT)
The children of the world live according to the ways and thinking of the world and are subject to them, but the children of God are subject to real power that reigns over any other and they posses the rights of citizenship far above the world's reach. We have a different inheritance, a different life and a different outlook given to us by our very own Father who dotes on His children, but if we're dining primarily from the world's trash bin and looking to the world to resolve our destiny, then we stand a very good chance of being polluted by it and becoming sick or worse. It's a "no-brainer" and a choice we make to either surrender to God's sovereignty and direction or surrender rights of our inheritance to let our lives float in polluted ways instead of on the River Of Life ordained for us as "His kids". The old saying that "You are what you eat", is no less true in a spiritual sense and what we give our focus to certainly has the power to dominate us if we're not careful. The only safe focus is one intently on the words of our wise and powerful Father and on carrying them out with His help and guidance. It's time to start paying serious attention to where we put our faith and trust
"But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." Jude 1:17-23 (NLT)
Looking to the world and it's corrupted devices while focusing on the continual bantering and available corrosive divisions contained within is an ill conceived method of life, one that has the ability to render us twisted, hopeless and powerless - precisely what the enemy of our souls wants to achieve. But we have a higher calling, a higher government, and the ear and heart of the absolute power that rules over all that exists. Our focus should continually be above and beyond the lesser and fleeting world we inhabit ... or for a time, we can simply choose to make ourselves limited to becoming subject to all of the ill that comes with rolling around in the world's pigpen and dining there. It's not the victorious life we're called to live or who we're called to be...
"And, He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,g a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:8-10 (NLT)
We're living in what may seem to be a very volatile and and tumultuous time of dynamic change. It's a moment in time that has every needed ingredient to provoke indignation, repulsion or disabling fear...
...but one thing I feel confident in pointing to in the midst of all of it is ... that your reaction to any of it will be based on what you truly believe and who you're listening to.
I quite literally believe that we're living in the last of the last days. As time goes on, I'm convinced that things will likely get worse. That's why how we handle life on a daily basis, where we put our trust, and who we look to as we go forward will become ever more important. It's easy to get overloaded and over run emotionally by subjecting yourself to the all of the negative of the world and if that's what you're tuned in to, you need to understand that it has the power to not only affect you emotionally and physically, but to own you if you let it ... and for a confessed follower of Christ that could be a very serious problem.
"But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ." Hebrews 3:6 (NLT)
The children of the world live according to the ways and thinking of the world and are subject to them, but the children of God are subject to real power that reigns over any other and they posses the rights of citizenship far above the world's reach. We have a different inheritance, a different life and a different outlook given to us by our very own Father who dotes on His children, but if we're dining primarily from the world's trash bin and looking to the world to resolve our destiny, then we stand a very good chance of being polluted by it and becoming sick or worse. It's a "no-brainer" and a choice we make to either surrender to God's sovereignty and direction or surrender rights of our inheritance to let our lives float in polluted ways instead of on the River Of Life ordained for us as "His kids". The old saying that "You are what you eat", is no less true in a spiritual sense and what we give our focus to certainly has the power to dominate us if we're not careful. The only safe focus is one intently on the words of our wise and powerful Father and on carrying them out with His help and guidance. It's time to start paying serious attention to where we put our faith and trust
"But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." Jude 1:17-23 (NLT)
Looking to the world and it's corrupted devices while focusing on the continual bantering and available corrosive divisions contained within is an ill conceived method of life, one that has the ability to render us twisted, hopeless and powerless - precisely what the enemy of our souls wants to achieve. But we have a higher calling, a higher government, and the ear and heart of the absolute power that rules over all that exists. Our focus should continually be above and beyond the lesser and fleeting world we inhabit ... or for a time, we can simply choose to make ourselves limited to becoming subject to all of the ill that comes with rolling around in the world's pigpen and dining there. It's not the victorious life we're called to live or who we're called to be...
"And, He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,g a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:8-10 (NLT)
We have the authority and power through Christ, to walk through this world as conquerors with Him and to turn our focus away from this failing world and it's foolish arguments - trusting our Father to oversee the details of our lives, from the largest to the most minute. To stay spiritually healthy, we need to trust Him, submit our lives to Him... and follow His leading - which requires that we keep our eyes on Him.
"And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:21-25 (NLT)
In the world's desperate hours and even in our peaceful moments - keep Him in focus.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
"And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:21-25 (NLT)
In the world's desperate hours and even in our peaceful moments - keep Him in focus.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
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