Tag: Spirit

Speak what is true…

Speak what is true…

Often there are things that happen that i sit back and scratch my head wondering, what did i just actually witness?! Baffling at times are the behaviors, choices, made by people in day to day living. All of which make me question humanity.  To often the Churches response is one of two extremes, total grace or total damnation.

As i type this i am inspired by the lyrics in a Crowder song, “Here’s My Heart”. The line that i am on is, “Here’s my heart Lord….speak what is true”  My mind and heart has been preparing for the shift, from our year long journey through Acts, to our next stop, Colossians.  Paul, speaking truth about the simplicity of Jesus.  It’s the same truth that Jesus spoke often to those He came in contact with, (paraphrasing) “I love you now, go and sin no more”.

The grace and freedom that Jesus taught, Paul speaks of, a heart  marked by a transformed life…In Chapter 3:5-8 we read;

“So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil, desire, and greed (which is idolatry).  The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things But now….”

There is a mark of grace we receive, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with its passions and its desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25

Here’s my heart Lord, speak what is true….

You are loved,

cj

The Lord’s Prayer #7

The Lord’s Prayer #7

temptation and rescue…

a final look at, “Our Father in Heaven…Matt 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.

Temptation is all around us. It is nearly constant as we live in an age of hyper communication. Tweets, Facebook notifications, Instagram, and countless other social networks keep us connected, informed and tempted. There are images shared by friends that appear in my feed that are inappropriate and if i am not careful i can find myself entertaining the temptation it presents. But, its not just social media, its web surfing, watching TV, listening to music, even conversations with friends. Temptation, is the mode of operation used by the devil himself.

That is why it is critical that we seek the strength of the Holy Spirit within us so that we do not yield to temptation. In fact, Yahoshua, fully aware of the tempter and his ways, doesn’t just stop with praying for strength over temptation but “rescue” from the evil one.

How is your prayer life when it comes to praying for strength against temptation and rescue from the evil one? i fear it is easy to over look this in our daily prayer life. It goes to weakness and no one likes to be weak. No one likes to admit struggle but that is exactly what this prayer leads us to do. We need His strength to be victorious over temptation and to receive rescue from the grip of the devil.

Father, help us to not yield to temptation, rescuing us from the evil one, may we live for You wholly. In Yahoshua’s Name…amen.

You are Loved,
cj