LIVING FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth....” ~ Isaiah 54:4

I was reading in the newspaper awhile back on my iPad and saw a wonderful testimony about a couple that eloped when they were in Bible college. They’d never spent time alone together—that wasn’t allowed at this particular school—but they’d been slipping around and getting to know each other on campus between classes.

He was 21 and she was 18 when they eloped, and they just celebrated their 50^thwedding anniversary. A reporter asked them if they had any advice for maintaining a strong marriage. So the wife said, “Live every day so as not to be afraid of tomorrow or be ashamed of yesterday.”

That’s not just good advice for marriage; it’s good for life. And when we commit our lives to Christ, we don’t have to be ashamed of yesterday or afraid of tomorrow. Our sins of the past have been completely forgotten and our future is in the hands of a Father who loves us and will work everything out for our best.

In Christ, you can live free from fear of tomorrow and shame of the past. Only in Him can you truly live for today. So instead of worrying about the past or the future, live each day in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God!

THANK GOD THAT YOU CAN LIVE FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME BECAUSE YOUR PAST SINS ARE FORGOTTEN AND GOD WILL GUIDE YOUR FUTURE!

SMALL SLITS SINK SHIPS

He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30

Did you know scientists now believe a series of slits, not a giant gash, sank the Titanic? The supposedly invincible cruise liner went down in 1912 on its first voyage. Fifteen hundred people perished, making it the worst maritime disaster of its time.

Until recently, the most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, opening a huge gash in the vessel’s side. But an international team of divers and scientists has used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found only six, relatively narrow, slits across the watertight holds.

Small slits can sink great ships. What are the small slits in your life that might have serious consequences? Is some shoring up in order? If you don’t know what exactly needs shoring up, or you do know but don’t know how—seek some help—from a friend, your pastor, or a professional counselor.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -Unknown
 

LOST AND FOUND

I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

How much do you matter to God?  Three parables in Luke 15 compare the value of a lost coin, a lost sheep and a lost son to the value God places on each human life.  In each case, these three things were highly valued and diligently sought after when lost. 

And, in each case, there was much rejoicing when found. Jesus tells us that likewise, and in much greater measure, God and His angels rejoice over even one sinner who was lost and is found.  That's the reality of how much God loves you. 

Hebrews 2:7 tells us, "God has crowned us with glory and honor."  We have the ability to live like royalty as sons and daughters of The King.  But first we must recognize that our crowns are broken because of sin, turn to Christ for forgiveness and trust Him to restore us to our royal position through the power of the cross.  Are you living up to the value God has placed on your life? 

Take your flimsy and broken crown to the the feet of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and let him give you a new crown of eternal glory.  And start living like royalty!

CLARITY VERSUS TRUST

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. - Isaiah 50:10

When the philosopher and professor of ethics, John Kavanaugh, went to work for three months at the “house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking an answer about how to spend the rest of his life. His first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she inquired.

He voiced his pressing burden: “Pray that I have clarity.” Mother Teresa firmly refused!  When the bewildered Kavanaugh asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”

When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Are things in your life so clear that there’s no room to trust God?

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

UNDER SPIRITUAL ATTACK

1 Timothy 4:1 ~ "The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons"

 

 

A seminary student stopped by my office to tell me he was having difficulty getting to school on time. What should have been a five-minute drive lengthened to 45 minutes because a voice in his mind kept telling him to turn at intersections. Not wanting to disobey what he perceived to be the "still, small voice of God," he was treated to a tour of the city almost every morning.

 

A pastor's wife, desperately needing the comfort of the Holy Spirit and desiring His leading, passively believed that whatever entered her mind was from God. She soon found herself bound by fear and plagued by condemning thoughts.

 

These examples underscore the wisdom of John Wesley's words: "Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions or revelations to be from God. They may be from Him. They may be from nature. They may be from the devil. Therefore, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be from God" (Martin Wells Knapp, Impressions , Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, p. 32).

 

In a survey of 1700 professing Christian teenagers, 70 percent admitted to hearing voices, like there was a subconscious self talking to them. I don't believe they are psychotic or paranoid schizophrenic. There is a battle going on for their minds. I have shared with many tormented people that they aren't going crazy but are under spiritual attack. They usually respond, "Praise the Lord, someone understands." It's freeing to know this truth, because if there is a battle going on for our minds, we can win that war.

 

Prayer: Lord, today I choose to test the spirits and assume my responsibility to think upon that which is true.

TRANSFORMING A WORKPLACE

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:1-2).

A cab driver in the Philippines became radically saved. He was taught that he now had the power of God in his life to transform his community. Because he had not had any prior religious training to the contrary, he took a literal approach to believing what the Bible says about prayer and miracles.

He decided that the best mission field for him was the local bar in his neighborhood. So he began to visit this bar to find the most qualified sinner he could find in order to minister to him. He met the bartender and determined that he was a great prospect because he was also a gay drug addict and a pimp to 65 prostitutes. The cab driver visited the bar regularly and got to know the bartender while drinking his "usual" Coke. Eventually, the Lord used the cab driver to bring this man to Christ.

The power of God moved greatly in the bartender, and he was delivered from his homosexual lifestyle. He began to change his life and share Jesus with the prostitutes. All 65 of them became Christians, and they began meeting in the bar for Bible study.

Soon, the owner of the bar began to notice the change in these people, and he also was saved. The bar became a church, and the group started 10 cell group churches in the neighborhood. Now that is a miraculous transformation!

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we should always remain aware that God wants to intervene. He desires a moment-by-moment relationship with us, and He wants to demonstrate His loving power to others through us. We can approach God about any situation, for there is nothing that is too small or too great for Him.*

Ask God to be a transformer in your workplace and city.!!

DO NOT GO TO CHURCH!!

 By Nomgidi Kity Nhlapo (Connect with her on Facebook)

Allow me to start by apologizing if you will be hurt by this note. I know you are alarmed by the title already. However, I mean what I say, let elaborate...

If you are busy wasting your time going to church whilst you are also busy pretending to be 'born again', think again! You cannot say you are born again whilst you are still so busy enjoying the '

fruits' of sin. Have you really repented or you are just fooling us, I mean, fooling yourself more?

They have preached about leaving sex to the married people, but, you never listen! Is your body a temple of the holly spirit or it is the temple (dwelling place) of lust. Why fool your pastor and your church members, why? You pretend to be living right, whilst you still drink and gossip at the same time! I am talking to you as well.

It is better to stay at home because you are, by far, worse than those who dont even border to come to church. You are a liar. You cannot pretend to God, repent. You may never know if this is your last chance! God does not need people who apologize, He needs people who completely let their bodies be the temple of the holly spirit. So, are you wondering why are your prayers not answered? Can you really fool God?

It is much better for people who do not want to repent to stay home! You cant keep on pretending, whilst at the same time, you do things in secret. You are happy because abazalwane ababoni! Pathetic! You need to walk righteous before God. I mean it. The lake of fire is for pretenders. These type of people are worse than the antichrist. I say this because the antichrist people are open and honest.

Simply because you tithe, you participate in church does not guarantee you righteousness. It does not guarantee you salvation. If your life was displayed in a big screen, you would be so ashamed of your very own thoughts and actions done in darkness. It is OK, you can hide these deeds of darkness, but, they are the same deeds which will assure you that you go to hell, and then continues to be thrown in a lake of fire, forever and ever.

You laugh at the people who worship God in truth and in spirit, you give them names. You cannot be clever before God. You like sin. Don't you know that sin will kill you? You think God is playing April fool? You will go to hell if you continue with these deeds. I tell you because I love you.

Sex before marriage is not pardoned by a condom. Simply because you have made an abortion, it does not mean icala liphelile. Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand. Whey the rapture happens, I can see that you will be left behind for the torment of the devil and 666.

Start living right for God. This message is for you. Repent, again I say repent. Dont be defeated by sin. Don't lie. You cant lie to people who trust you like this! You cannot lie to people without lying to yourself. Your future, containing lies is not looking bright. It may be bright for a while, only for a while.

You cant continue going to church playing God. This is real life. You will get diseases, you will get sick and you will get YOURSELF hurt. You are planting a bomb is your own mind and heart. You will cry one day, you will weep so bad because of the decisions you are making.

  Don't choose the intimate, choose the ultimate. Choose life, not pleasures of the world. Preserve your soul. Trust in God with all your heart.

Don't waste your life. Why do you want to earn the whole pleasure of the world with an expense of your very own like? You deserve much better than this shame. Your life was bought with a high price. Don't disregard what He has done on the cross for you, don't.

Live your life to please God! I love you so much to let the devil play with your mind, my brother my sister....

Repent.