Thoughts to Inspire: Recent Episodes
Bill Williams
The focus of the podcast is for me to have a space to honestly share my experience in this world. For nearly 8 years, I have been learning how to live more intentionally with each passing season. Slowly, I have been picking up new skills and habits to make my life more sustainable while at the same time discarding old habits that no longer serve my purpose to live. This podcast will be used as an instrument for me to manifest my thoughts for the benefit of those who choose to spend their time listening. I am a follower of Jesus, Husband, Father, Friend, and Holy Spirit Vessel! @billofthoughts
"A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bare Thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the world of God, and keep it."
-Luke 11:27,28
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"He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory."
-Zechariah 6:13
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"Thou art fairer than the children of men"
-Psalm 45:2
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"Thy Redeemer."
-Isiah 54:5
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"Lord, help."
-Psalm 12:1
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"And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish."
-John 10:28
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"Delight thyself also in the Lord."
-Psalm 37:4
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"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
-Revelation 22:17
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"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."
-Daniel 5:27
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"We love Him, because He first loved us."
-1 John 4:19
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"We live unto the Lord."
-Romans 14:8
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"There fell down many slain, because the war was of God."
-1 Chronicles 5:22
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"Ye that love the Lord hat evil."
-Psalm 97:10
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"Behold, I am vile."
-Job 40:4
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"The kindness and love of God our Savior."
-Titus 3:4
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"These were potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work."
-1 Chronicles 4:23
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"The evening and the morning were the first day."
-Genesis 1:5
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"The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron."
-2 Samuel 15:23
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"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines."
-Song of Solomon 2:15
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"Whom He justified, them He also glorified."
-Romans 8:30
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"So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet."
-2 Samuel 9:13
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"Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer."
-Psalm 66:20
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"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me."
-Psalm 138:8
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"He led them forth by the right way."
-Psalm 107:7
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"If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
-1 Peter 2:3
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"Marvelous lovingkindness."
-Psalm 17:7
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"In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him."
-Colossians 2:9, 10
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"So to walk even as He walked."
-1 John 2:6
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"Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
-1 Timothy 6:17
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"All that believe are justified."
-Acts 13:39
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"Joint heirs with Christ."
-Romans 8:17
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"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
-Psalm 30:5
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"I am with you alway."
-Matthew 28:20
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"But now is Christ risen from the dead."
-1 Corinthians 15:20
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"Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings."
-Ephesians 1:3
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"He that was healed wist not who it was."
-John 5:13
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"Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all."
-Matthew 12:15
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"Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?"
-Jeremiah 16:20
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"In the world ye shall have tribulation."
-John 16:33
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"I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world."
-John 17:15
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"His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers."
-Song of Solomon 5:13
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"And all the children of Israel murmured."
-Numbers 14:2
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"God, even our own God."
-Psalm 67:6
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"And because of all this we make a sure covenant."
-Nehemiah 9:38
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"Him hath God exalted."
-Acts 5:31
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"That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death."
-Hebrews 2:14
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"Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
-Matthew 27:51
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"She bound the scarlet line in the window."
-Joshua 2:21
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"We are come to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Able."
-Hebrews 12:24
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"The precious blood of Christ."
-1 Peter 1:19
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"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
-Psalm 22:1
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"All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head."
-Psalm 22:7
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"A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me."
-Song of Solomon 1:13
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"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint."
-Psalm 22:14
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"The place which is called Calvary."
-Luke 23:33
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"And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him."
-Luke 23:27
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"If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"
- Luke 23:31
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"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp."
-Hebrews 13:13
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"On Him they laid the cross, that He might bear it after Jesus."
-Luke 23:26
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"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
-2 Corinthians 5:21
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"He answered him to never a word."
-Matthew 27:14
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"Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth."
-Song of Solomon 1:2
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"With His stripes we are healed."
-Isiah 53:5
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"He was numbered with the transgressors."
-Isiah 53:12
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"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered."
-Hebrews 5:8
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"The love of Christ which passeth knowledge."
-Ephesians 3:19
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"Jesus said unto them, if ye seek Me, let these go their way."
-John 18:8
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"Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
-Luke 22:48
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"He was heard in that he feared."
-Hebrews 5:7
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"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
-Luke 22:44
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"And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed."
-Matthew 26:39
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"My beloved."
- Song of Solomon 2:8
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"Strong in faith."
-Romans 4:20
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"Remember the poor."
-Galatians 2:10
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"I ma a stranger with thee."
-Psalm 39:12
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"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
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"Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
-1 Corinthians 10:12
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"Why sit we here until we die?
-2 Kings 7:3
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"Thou Shalt love thy neighbor."
-Matthew 5:43
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"Sin... exceeding sinful."
-Romans 7:13
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"In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved."
-Psalm 30:6
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"Yea, He is altogether lovely."
-Song of Solomon 5:16
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"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."
-Acts 14:22
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"Have faith in God."
-Mark 11:22
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"Ye must be born again."
-John 3:7
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"Let us not sleep, as do others."
-1 Thessalonians 5:6
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"My grace is sufficient for thee."
-2 Corinthians 12:9
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"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
-Isiah 48:10
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"But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock."
-1 Samuel 13:20
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"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out."
-Song of Solomon 4:16
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"With lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
-Jeremiah 31:3
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"My expectation is from Him."
-Psalm 62:5
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"Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation."
-Psalm 91:9
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"Salvation is of the Lord."
-Jonah 2:9
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"The wrath to come."
-Matthew 3:7
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"I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing."
-Ezekiel 34:26
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"I will never leave thee."
-Hebrews 13:5
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"His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob."
-Genesis 49:24
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"He hath said."
-Hebrews 13:5
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"God, that comforteth those that are cast down."
- 2 Corinthians 7:6
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"Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of israel, to do it for them."
-Ezekiel 36:37
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"Show me wherefore thou contendest with me."
-Job 10:2
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"Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi."
-Genesis 25:11
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"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."
-Philippians 4:11
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"To Him be glory both now and for ever."
-2 Peter 3:18
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"And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life."
-2 Kings 25:30
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"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God."
-1 John 3: 1, 2
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"For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
-2 Corinthians 1:5
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"And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."
-Acts 4:13
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"I know how to abound."
-Philippians 4:12
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"And David enquired of the Lord."
-2 Samuel 5:23
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"Thou shalt call his name Jesus."
-Matthew 1:21
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"Arise ye, and depart."
-Micha 2:10
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"Praying always."
-Ephesians 6:18
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"The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world."
-1 John 4:14
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"The love of the Lord."
-Hosea 3:1
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"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors."
-Romans 8:12
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"Without shedding of blood is no remission."
-Hebrews 9:22
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"They shall sing in the ways of the Lord."
-Psalm 138:5
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"The Lord of Righteousness."
-Jeremiah 23:6
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"When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself."
-2 Samuel 5:24
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"The things which are not seen."
-2 Corinthians 4:18
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"Perfect in Christ Jesus."
-Colossians 1:28
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"And of His fulness have all we received."
-Jon 1:16
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"Your heavenly Father."
-Matthew 6:26
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"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us."
-Isiah 63:7
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"Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler."
-Psalm 91:3
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"I have exalted one chosen out of the people."
-Psalm 89:19
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"Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?"
-Ezekiel 15:2
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"And so all Israel shall be saved."
-Romans 11:26
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"Able was a keeer of sheep."
-Genesis 4:2
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"I sought him, but I found him not."
-Solomon 3:1
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"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
-Hebrews 4:9
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"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion."
-Revelation 14:1
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"Fear not, you work Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."
-Isiah 41:14
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"And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken."
2 Samuel 7:25
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Who is this who comes from Edom,
in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save.”
Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
“I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,
and stained all my apparel.
For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and my year of redemption had come.
I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
and my wrath upheld me.
I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
Isiah 63:1-6
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"Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not: for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber."
- 1 Kings 22:48
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"Ye are Christ's."
-1 Corinthians 3:23
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"These have no root."
-Luke 8:13
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"There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
-2 Timothy 4:8
If you doubt, pursue the truth. Watch what you turn to and be active in that search, not passive. We have only so much time so make the most of it.
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"I will be their God."
-Jeremiah 31:33
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"It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD."
-Exodus 28:38
The greatest gift is the gift of faith.
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"For me to live is Christ."
-Philippians 1:21
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"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
- 1 Peter 5:7
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"And GOd saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
-Genesis 1:4
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And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
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Thus says the Lord:
"In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,'
to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.'
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity of them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up."
Isiah 49:8-11
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"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." - Colossians 4:2
I decided to share this devotional in the morning only. With work and family, I won't commit to uploading twice a day.
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Here we go!
The first entry of Morning & Evening.
"They did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."
-Joshua 5:12
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
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Verity - The quality or state of being true to Him
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, bother their Lord and ours.
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Us: Why?
Jesus: This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.
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If you can do anything...... have compassion on us and help us..... I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF!
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This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to Him!
-Luke 9:35
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Answer HIS call... See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
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To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
-1 Corinthians 9:22-23
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If something is between you and Jesus... Allow Jesus to be between you and that thing
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God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
-John 4:24
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FORGIVE--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bill-williams4/support
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
-Matthew 27:32
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Have you anything to hid from God?--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bill-williams4/support
I was rambling a little but today but, I hope you get something out of this.
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Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
-Psalm 41:8-10
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22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!
-Ezekiel 36:22-32
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When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Gold Almighty, walk before me, and be blameless.
-Genesis 17:1
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You are those who have stayed with me in my trials
-Luke 22:28
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He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. -Hebrews 5:2--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bill-williams4/support
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
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Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
Isiah 26:19
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But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 6:21-23
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Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly...
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat any tree in the garden'?"(Question God's Truth) And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' " But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you be like God, knowing good and evil." (Enemies Lie in place of God's Truth) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and at, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Simplicity is gone, Spiritual muddiness happens, Sinful thoughts take action)
By devotional making the day better I mean scripture making the day better. The devotional is my way into scripture and my understanding of scripture is what blesses my day, God's word is amazing in that way.
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A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
-John 13:34
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And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.
-Mark 14:40
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If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
-John 13:14
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
-1 Peter 5:5
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If you are not doing the thing that lies nearest, because God has engineered it; when the crisis comes instead of being revealed as fit, you will be revealed as unfit. Crises always reveal character.
-Oswald
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Discipline - Control gained by enforcing obedience or order.
You gain control over your flesh by being obedient. Why? Being obedient means you are conducting in a behavior, exercising self-control and doing His will, re-writing your past sinful thoughts and habits. Bring your mind under control.
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Isiah 2:11
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
And the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
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They shall no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
-Revelation 7:16-17
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Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
-John 7:38
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The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
- 1 Peter 4:6
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I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
-Psalm 22:22
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"If you satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you; you must sacrifice it, pour it out, do with it what common sense is an absurd waste"
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With Joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
-Isiah 12:3
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"For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground."
-Lev 11:42
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"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
-Luke 10:19-20
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Roll the stone away that is blocking Jesus from... And experience freedom from that sin.
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Today I want to encourage you to stop, and say "Lord teach me...."
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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Phillippians 4:7
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Paul says we have the mind of Christ. Jesus says When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
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What if prayer is hard because YOU don't want a relationship with HIM?
If you want a relationship with your spouse or best friend how do you do that?
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Be seen by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
So that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.
Isiah 4:4
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Ezekiel 36:25-27
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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:20
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound
Isiah 61:1
The acts that go unnoticed help the blind recover their sight.
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"... And I will give you rest."
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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
-Jesus
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"And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain"
Ezekiel 33:31
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How are you discouraged and why? Repent!
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To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
-John 10:3
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"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
-John 5:26-27
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For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Heb. 12:11
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This was hard for me to get out. I have been lagging behind on getting episodes out. I have noticed when I don't spend the time preparing for these episodes, my day is more challenging.
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
- 1 Th. 5:23-24
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There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we do our human best; it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely.
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The time will come when we will have to go on our own. We cannon go with this person or that person. Let it be because our God is a way maker and He alone can grant us victories. Trust in God.
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But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
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Are you living in such human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being manifested moment by moment?
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There is always something to be done in the sense of "filling up"
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The way He worked and lived among men must be the way He lives in you.
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We are too much given to thinking of the Cross as something we have to get through; we get through it only in order to get into it.
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If we are in communion with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, we shall no longer try to find out what his purposes are.
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The main thing about Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the atmosphere produced by that relationship.
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God's aim looks like missing the mark because we are too short-sighted to see what He is aiming at.
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God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength.
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The point Oswald may be making today is that as we progress with Jesus, we ought to realize it is MOREabout Him and LESS about us.
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Hold your life to the light. Take it all out of the darkness and make the choice to give it to God. Serve no other spirits
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Me - You = Failure
Me - Jesus - You = Satisfaction
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Walk by FAITH IN JESUS
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God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now.
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The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience.
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Either Jesus Christ is the supreme Authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to.
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When we first read the statements of Jesus they seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unobserved into our unconscious minds.
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How can you better study the bible today?
https://www.accordancebible.com/
https://www.e-sword.net/
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Christ the Source of all Blessings.
I. St. Paul seems to have had in his mind a conception of the gradual growth of the Christian spirit under the hand of Christ, from its dawn of grace to its final fulfilment in glory. He seems to view Christ as the great Dispenser of the Father’s treasures, accumulating gifts upon the believer’s soul until it brightens into the very image of Himself; to view it rising higher and higher, as it is drawn nearer and nearer to Him, till the crisis of the final redemption is come and it is lost from the eye, hidden beyond the clouds. The words are as the ladder to the Patriarch’s vision, "set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it."
II. Wisdom—the apprehension of the true and Divine knowledge—is the first stage on the path of peace; the clearing of the eye of reason for the prospect itself of eternity and of God. Christ is here declared to be made unto us wisdom, not so much because He is the Giver of wisdom as because He is the ground and object of it; not so much because He declares to us the truth as because He is the truth. He gives us knowledge in giving us Himself. The "righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" are ingredients of the wisdom. Christ is our wisdom in being to us these things: that is, He is the prime object of all true wisdom inasmuch as He is the source of all true blessedness.
III. Weigh well the force of the expression "is made unto us." As one with Christ we obtain the whole inheritance of grace and glory. The instant that we are incorporated into the mystical body of which He is the Head, that instant we possess the seed of the entire life of the Christian—yea, all his eternity is but the less or greater development of the Christ he bears within, around, and upon him. To receive Him is to receive the germ of every blessing that is written in the book of God.
W. Archer Butler, Sermons, 2nd series, p. 1.
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What is it you must abstain from? Sexual immorality is a common one however you may be past that or you are unaware of your sexual immorality. Spend the day on your sin and turn towards Jesus being willing to surrender.
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What is the good to be told I MUST do this and I HAVE to do that? Extrinsic motivation(carrot and stick or punish & reward) vs. Intrinsic motivation(Jesus IN me).
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The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us.
What the Bible says about Dependence Upon God
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When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
-John 12:12-14
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Newfound sin, the bliss of ignorance is gone and we are left face-to-face with Jesus. What will you say at this point?
I am still feeding on milk, forgive me for processing things that may not seem clear or thoroughly thought out. I am doing this daily and sometimes it takes multiple days for something to become more flushed out.
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"If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get anywhere near Jesus Christ... Making me a traitor to Jesus"
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Keep your minds filled with the notion of God's control behind everything! KNOW JESUS MORE TODAY
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Live by Faith - Turn to Jesus
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Every time I insist upon my rights, I hurt the Son of God; whereas I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I take the blow myself…..
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The cost of dicipleship is high. Are you willing to find out?
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Every day we must pray, study, investigate, and meditate on God’s word.
“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, by speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
-Ephesians 4:14-16
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Martin G. Colins said
“Many profess faith in God but do not even know Him! Their worship is vain, not knowing whom they worship and learning the doctrines of man, not God. A belief imparted by parents or other authority figures that God exists is not sufficient to establish contact with Him. For example, the Pharisees, familiar with the God of the Old Testament and believing they were in good standing with Him, received Christ’s rebuke that their faith was in vain. This is true of most people today who think they “know the Lord” and profess faith toward Him.
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Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.
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"The weaker and feebler you are, the better"
-Oswald
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Joshua 24:14-15
"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if you be willing to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Let this be your anthem!
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Notice it says ALL noble things are difficult. I want to encourage you to spend more time in scripture(reading a physical bible) today than you do consuming any other content. Allow the living words to come into you through your eyes and transform you, comfort you, direct you, and convict you.
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Walk with God in His inevitable truth. Make your vision a reality.
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The elements of Motivation may be a good source to encourage the calculation with God.
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BibleTools has a great breakdown of Fretting which you should check out.
"The human effort is in vain unless we have the Lord's blessings."
Involve the Lord always; when you forget, all you need to do is turn to Him and bring your worries to Him.
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Picture this... The Seraphim spoke, the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice, the house was filled with smoke and you concentrated on your personal sin before the Lord.
You can have this experience right now. Ask Jesus to command you to take the next step and do it!
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I hope this makes sense. Jesus makes very clear the cost of discipleship. What is unclear at times is what we are unwilling to pay to follow him. Ask Jesus, step into conversation with the Lord and ask Him what needs to be done.
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"He urged you to come to judgment right away when He convicted you, but you did not..."
Do NOW what you will have to do some day!
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I hope this episode encourages you. Relationship with Jesus comes at a cost to our way of living.
I hope to add my thoughts on "The cost of discipleship" to this podcast soon!
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The blood of Jesus is enough... "In our mental outlook, we have to reconcile ourselves to the fact of sin as the only explanation as to why Jesus Christ came, and as the explanation for the grief and sorrow in life.
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Today I continue the study of 2 Peter 1:5 and dive into Knowledge
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Remember..... "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."
Bible tools topic that might be of help.
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Proverbs 18:24 "There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
Be the friend who sticks closer than a sibling.
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... Now screw your attention down and form habits, give diligence, CONCENTRATE.
Join me over the next 7 episodes as I dive into a study of Virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.
Today I spend time on Virtue.
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Jesus is the way. What does turning towards Jesus look like in this season of your life?
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If we ask, we will be shown.
Why are you not a saint? Sit on this for some time and come back with the Sins which you are holding dear.
Oswald says "It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe God can make you one."
Links to the commentary I referenced by John W. Ritenbaugh
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What are you stumbling over in your life? Why are you refusing to turn to Jesus at that point?
I know it is extremely difficult to give things up when I feel so justified in my feeling but, the stubbornness ultimately keeps me from Jesus and when I think outside my FEELINGS I know He would not want me burdened by it.
Ask yourself this question... Where is the majestic vitality and might of the Son of God about that? "That" being the sin you keep in your heart knowing it doesn't belong there.
Remember, we serve a MIGHTY GOD so be MIGHTY!
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Luke 11:2
LORD TEACH US TO PRAY...
"Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation."
Time to set pride aside and beg God for help, knock and ask.
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If you do not know where to begin or what to ask for, ask God for the Holy Spirit on the word of Jesus Christ. When the Spirit does its work in you, then you begin to get it and gain insight from the Lord. Seek with intention, beg for guidance and discernment.
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This is a big question to ask ourselves. God, what do I do moving forward?
I can tell you this... I don't know what you need to do next.
I can generally say this... CUT THE MOORINGS!! In what way are you tied down, chained, or anchored? Turn to Jesus, read the word and step into the unknown. Maybe it's having conversations with people you wouldn't typically have. Perhaps it's reaching out to people you haven't talked with in a while. Maybe it's forgiving someone. Perhaps it's breaking free of addictions or behaviors that serve idols and turning to Jesus.
You know best, just be honest and turn away from "x" and turn towards Jesus.
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When we are haunted by God we will say "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear..." after listening to God. Get hold of the Fater's say-so, and then go out into the world with good courage!
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God will not fail you. You can fail yourself, man can fail you but God's grace for you is neverending.
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Fearing the Lord will cast out (X). Beleive it for it is written.
Fearing the Lord will bring triumph over (X). Beleive it for it is written.
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Haunt: To visit often - To continually seek the company of
This is a good thing. I always heard haunt used in a bad way but biblically it means "to sit down" or "to dwell". Let the Holy Spirit haunt you today.
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This reminds me of perfectionism and how when we are working towards a goal, our insecurity and our actual ability to be perfect with some things can cause us to procrastinate. Oswald would call this "Mooning, " which is not a good thing to do. Procrastinating, falling into worry, and acting out of panic is not the way and is a habit I, unfortunately, repeat in different areas.
Yes, there are parts of us that are not good and not possible to do "it" however, God's spirit can. Let go of the urge to fight against His spirit and walk in God's grace.
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No Buts! "If a man is going to do anything worthwhile, there are times when he has to risk everything on his leap, and in the spiritual domain Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense and leap into what He says, and immediately you do, you find that what He says fits on as solidly as common sense."
Challenge for the day-
How are you self-sabotaging your wartime efforts?
How can you eliminate one or more self-sabotaging behaviors or thoughts?
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It is hard to stop looking for the explanation in my intellect, how about you?
Set your disposition to Jesus - Make your relationship undisturbed.
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Where are you on your Journey?
What is your purpose?
The dark will try its best to confuse you. The lies will work to convince you that you are not worth it. Remember this, Jesus will put those lies in the light and you will see them scatter because they have no true authority.
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If you find it hard being "in a good mood" then step back and do a drop set. A drop set is a weightlifting term. When the current weight is too tough, lower the weight a little bit and get some more reps in. How can this look spiritually? You first of all NEED to be reading scripture every day but if you find it hard to understand or you don't see the point of the book you are in. Take a step back, start the book over again or start a book or two back to get the right context.
Another way you may feel life is too heavy is you are filling your head with conflicting things. I heard the old saying "If you have two dogs, one good and one bad. Which one will win in a fight? Whichever you feed most." If you are feeding your flesh more than your spirit then it's no wonder you are in a bad mood. When I eat garbage and don't rest I won't have a good workout and drop sets won't really help because I am sabotaging myself. FEED YOUR SPIRIT, GET REPS IN, PUT LOVE OUT
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What fills your thoughts? Is it Jesus OR is it your current god? Be careful what you spend your time doing. To know our Lord God we must spend time in his word. He wants our time, so give Him more of it.
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What choices do you have in your life today? How can you waive your rights today to advance God's kingdom?
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Finally, I can delight in my inability to conquer... on my own. I would much rather do the thing not only with God but for Him. When I began I was PUMPED because I could finally show how good I am, how strong I am, and how faithful I am. That only got me so far, accomplishing the mission can only get me so far when I rely on myself or put myself first. God said, "I will let you get as far as you can before you realize you're on the wrong path." The Holy Spirit helped me discern good from evil and give the evil to Jesus, repent, and correct my path.
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Be patient in the Lord... Don't run to others for an answer when you are tired of waiting. Don't turn away from Jesus when you think you know better. Jesus tells us to look at him, put our chins up and see Him. Others tell us to look down to watch our steps, follow "this" way, and watch our feet carefully by doing exactly as prescribed. Little do we know that when we do this we are on the wide road walking side by side with the rotting dead on our way to destruction and gnashing teeth.
There is one-way people... Jesus
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To rise from a wreck we need to put all our effort toward the one who can make things better, God. Find the discipline required to rise. It will seem painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. "TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY IT"
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Forerunner Commentary
Self-justification tends to blind us to God's goodness, His gifts, because it intensifies what originally occurred. In our haste to absolve ourselves, we forget things that God has provided us: life itself, a mind that can gather information, the ability to reason, the ability to remember, and a spirit that, not only makes us human, but confers the potential to be like God. Adam's blaming of God for His gift of Eve reveals his horrendous ingratitude for what he had been given.
I love this explanation of the self-justification of sin.
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Life has been but I want to at least upload the reading of the devotional.
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The best place to make new habits is on the job out in the field where we have the opportunity to apply this new habit or continue the current problematic behavior.
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I decided to add a little structure to the episodes. After the devotional reading, I will start the second part by thanking listeners for joining. I also want to add ways to structure the second half and how I process the devotional. So, Over the next few weeks, I hope to have a process to follow each episode to help me be more focused and possibly get a little more out of doing this. Suggestions are welcome!
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"There are spots that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours."
There are clear and obvious spots I need to work on. Not being anxious out of mind when stressful situations become present in my life. Showing my wife and kids love at all times. Having compassion for other people in my life. Having confidence in the task God has given me.
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Let Jesus take you over for His enterprise. Give all that you have to Him
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Abyss - A bottomless gulf
There is unlimited freedom for everyone around you including yourself If we draw from the water of life. Our flesh opposes this and causes us to draw from lies that lead to our death in hell. This is a war and we need to understand ourselves better so we can be more effective warriors of faith. The patterns of sin are simple and I bet you find yourself doing the same garbage behaviors or stuck in the same thought loops which drag you down and away from life. Take the time to understand how you represent the faith in Jesus truly. Take the time to understand how you represent the flesh that opposes that faith. I know I am tired of the same thoughts running wild in my mind that prevent me from connection and truth. The patterns of the flesh can be broken and we can lessen their impact on us. It takes proactive effort on our end, community, dedication, and most of all Jesus to make it happen.
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"For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
That is a chilling question. If you are not obeying the gospel of God I hope you change your attitude. There is always hope and reason to be encouraged. Not every episode may seem like encouragement but I intend always to remind you of to confirm your call and election every day. We can all take part in God's beautiful plan here on earth.
What has God elected you to do?
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Believe that the sacrifice Jesus made was enough to cover your misgivings. I tend to get stuck in the loop of "I NEED" and it is a difficult place to be since it keeps me focused on myself. All I need is Jesus, all we need is Jesus.
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Today's devotional will be good for my prayer life. It is important not to let my emotions get in the way of God's plan. I need to get out of God's way and sync up with the spirit to broadcast what is necessary to make a difference. I have already seen the fruit of spending more time with God daily. I am also realizing how my weakness has been hindering me from being more effective because I don't allow Jesus to work through my weakness all the time.
Where is your identification?
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I CAN NOT BE PERFECT
Wow, I never felt this in my heart. I always thought I can figure out my life and avoid mistakes and wrong decisions.
WALK BY FAITH
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When I have a thought poke at me out of the blue that is asking me to take action and love someone in some way, I usually ignore it. I will have this idea cross my mind and feel compelled to act out kindness but I will wait it out until it passes.
Time to take action! No more premeditated love, time to allow the Spirit to make it spontaneous!
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Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.
Is there anything you find yourself planning to the best of YOUR ability?
It feels scary and sometimes foolish to be uncertain about my next step but, I am a follower of Jesus. For me to do this according to my own plan would be to deny Him. I would rather be a fool in the eyes of man than be judged a fool by God. I sure hope I have some good news to share in the coming weeks about how things are going!
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Are you prepared to let God take you into union with Himself, and pay no attention to what you call the great things? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go?
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Character determines how a man interprets God's will.
Honestly, I have felt like a devotee of my convictions. I have fallen into a pit of despair and even though I do these episodes most days, I am not walking out what I am saying. I have been doing my best to take each day at a time. Each step at a time. It is helpful to focus on today and If I keep doing that, the future will take care of itself. God has certainly been breaking me from the traditions that misrepresent Him and it feels like I am being broken in the process because of my stubbornness. Thought it is hard I have hope that I will be better because of it all.
How is God purifying your faith in this season in life?
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April is wrapping up and I can feel the intensity. Oswald is bringing it and of course, it matches up with my circumstances. I love how God can work through us to touch countless people through books and other media. That is my hope for this podcast. I may not be as inspirational as I am in the season of my life but, I am still echoing Oswald's words with each episode and honestly sharing my life. Right now that is what I can do. God is good.
"Our work as His disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God. One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit. As workers for God we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and that will be God's witness to us as workers. God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others."
This is my last week of working full-time at my Job. Next week I will officially begin this journey that God planted in me to work with Him. Oswald says that a lack of concentration on God when working will lead to the work on the neck which leads to being spent out and crushed. I do not want this to happen. I hear it all the time and It is at the forefront of my mind as I start this process. Money and recognition are not my aims. I want to please God and feed His sheep.
I want to ask you this - How can you plug in a controller for God to start controlling your life?
What I hate is how I can be a hypocrite. I will say in this episode one thing to my wife and kids another thing. Jesus does not like hypocrites and I don't feel good when I take out my frustrations on my family.
I find myself displacing my frustrations with work and other stressors onto my wife and kids. I have been extremely tired of doing this. My family is being misled by me when I get stuck in this cycle.
The reason I mention this is because I do not want to be a light that fails from my family's point of view. I really need to work on loving my wife and kids every day. This is a front where I need reinforcements to win the battle.
So remember, just as lights in our life can fail, we can fail others and fade out of their trusted circle. The battle to say engaged with the family is one where the enemy is relentless so I must also be unfailing in this area.
Spend some time thinking about areas of your life that are un-simple. What stupid opinions do you have? Spend time in prayer with God and see him work. Let Him make His promises a reality in your life by letting go.
Thanks for spending time on this longer episode. If you listen to this at any point in time I would appreciate the prayer. Jesus is the beginning and the end while remaining in the now. If I receive prayer for this point in my life 20 years from the date I published this, it still matters.
Seasons, where we are growing, can be difficult. Being stuck in "I CAN'T" is dangerous and holds us back.
I have been inspired to document and share with my family my core words or phrases. To write down our family mission and declare what we will work towards as we approach the end of this year. November and December have historically been hard months for me. Thanksgiving is the anniversary of my brother's suicide. I need to be on guard. I will not let the enemy tempt me into hindering God's plan for my family and me. This year will look radically different than the last 8 In Jesus' name... Because of God's promises.
Is God able to fulfill His promises? We BETTER BELIEVE IT!
As I continued to reflect on today's devotional I was thinking... What is the least likely way the devil would take me out?
I started to listen to Dad.Work podcast and he has on Fathers who are trying their best to serve their families. They all point out how so many dads out there are fallen comrades. They have great success in one or a few areas of their life but their kids and wife do not love them so they failed. I had a new client who one day woke up and his wife asked him for a divorce. He was absolutely surprised. Even though it may be easy to point out what went wrong on the outside we all struggle with the true perspective since we are on the inside of our lives. I do not want to be the guy who thinks things are going perfect but in reality, things are about to implode.
So remember to be "Kept by the power of God" - that is the only safety.
What tools help you grind through (with grace) the thought days and weeks?
For me,
Exercise is Key.
Completing tasks is Key.
Being devoted as much as possible is Key.
Thanks for taking the time to listen to this! Oswald is a thoughtful person and his work has been very impactful on my life. I encourage you to dive deep into yourself today to uncover things yet to be revealed. Invite God in and let Him do what He does.
To say nothing until the Son of man has risen in me can be very difficult. The reason is, the things which Jesus reveals are unbearable until we enter into the moment when we are spiritually fit to endure the revelation. We can not back down when it is revealed to us because that would be to turn from God. Press on and pursue peace.
Just as Jesus brought himself willingly to the Cross, let us hang our flesh on that cross and let go of sin. Some things are easier to give up, some things are unexpectedly gone, and some things seem to keep coming back up. For me, It is the loss of my voice and sense of reasoning in the light. I get clouded in my mind and my eyes won't see the good.
My kid's got a book called "Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses" By Kimberly and James Dean. The story follows Pete who is given this pair of glasses that allow him to shift his perspective from gloomy to sunny. He puts them on and realizes "The birds are singing. The sky is bright. The sun is shining. I'm feeling ALRIGHT!" He walks around letting others animals who he notices are mad or sad try the glasses on and they shift their perspective as well. Eventually, he falls and the glasses break and the Wise owl tells Pete "You don't need Magic Sunglasses to see things in a new way. Just remember to look for the good in every day." Pete looked around without the glasses and noticed the owl was right!
This is how I want to view the day when I am stuck in a gloomy mood but, I make it difficult the shift gears. However, I have noticed when I speak to God as if he is a Dr. right beside me, it helps me find relief. When I ask for help from God, I have been given what I need.
pharisaism - the doctrines or practices of the Pharisees
Don't let these blind you from peace!
What has been deflecting you from insight into Jesus Christ?
By the time you are done with this episode, I want you to identify something that has been deflecting you from Him and work on removing it from your life.
Oswald says we have to learn to maintain an unimpaired state of character up to the last notch revealed in the vision of Jesus Christ. For me, maintenance does not mean coasting and keeping things as they are. There is always something I can work on and there will always be high standards I will hold myself to. I can not let those around me down and I want to be in God's good graces. I need to remain prepared for what God has in store for me and that requires me to be fit year-round.
We all must individually pursue Jesus because we all have a major part in this war against sin.
Abide in Him! I am excited to spend more time with Jesus so I can begin to intercede for those who are in my life. I know this will be huge for the people around me. I started a prayer board about 2 months ago and now, I am understanding how to actually speak on behalf of the people on it. This will be a huge change for me and I will learn a lot about myself I am sure.
After you finish this episode today think about what could change in your life to bring you close to Jesus and how you can intercede for those you may not want to.
"If anyone sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal.."
Together, let's work on not being criticizing centres. Instead, we can take what we would say to Jesus and let Him make the call on what happens next.
Oswald says it here if we do not pray we are highly likely to become hard towards God.
As a human who has groped the walls like the blind and stumbled at noon as in the twilight, I am happy to come to the realization that I must pray more to continue the mission God has called me to live out. Through prayer and intercession, I will continue to sharpen who I am.
The time is coming to an end when I struggle with the doubts I have been having this season. I know now that prayer and intercession are how I can use my business to love God and love people, to build a business for the glory of God, and to be the aroma of God in the marketplace as his ambassador.
"Then his own arm brought his victory, and his righteousness upheld him..." Man, I hope to have this manifest in my life. I have been searching for guys in my life for the last several weeks to join in the great hunt for God(as Jim Ramos would say) with me. It is hard, I feel with the power of Jesus in me I can extend my arm as God directs me and dress myself with the Holy Spirit to shine His light into the world.
March 28th
Don't let sinful fear keep you from following Jesus. When we press on past our comfort zone, we may have a chance to glorify God or be a part of God's good work through other people's lives. However, when we question and think Jesus is mistaken, we lose.
Keep up the good, hard work by overcoming your sin. I think this podcast would be a lot more fun if I had more interaction so, please share it with someone if you want!
Excuse my cracking voice. I have a bad cold today.
How do you stay pure? Is this possible for you?
I think this is a great goal because I can hold myself to a higher standard every day and strive to be more pure. To me, this means wasting less time each day with YouTube or my phone and instead work, exercise, pray, understand Him more.
Most of all, I want to be pure so I can look at other people and see the Jesus potential in them rather than the sin nature.
"The friend of the Bridegroom"
This is who we are meant to be! So, lets work each day to remain in our place as God wills. Stay away from being that amateur providence Oswald talks about. Every day we have the opportunity to learn what God is telling us about our life circumstance. Take the time, Pay the attention at the asking price.
I don't have any friends who I am in relationship with without constant contact with them. How is it possible to be friends with Jesus if we aren't in constant contact with Him? It is not possible. Remove the obstacles in the way to get into relationship with Him.
Twitter @billofthoughts email Lightmobilephotography@gmail.com - Get in touch with me!
I took a long time off but, I am back and ready to be consistent.
As my testimony episode stated, It was very hard for me to get that out. I have been going through a period of feeling weak or realizing how insufficient I am. Which is good because I have all the more understanding that I am not the one who will be impacting others. I have gained understanding and Jesus checked me on my pride once again.
Todays devotional is a perfect way for me to come back to this podcast. To declare that It his Him and not I who will inspire.
I have excused spending time each day putting out an episode because I felt I lost my burning heart for a moment. I told myself since I am putting myself out and speaking to people, doing work in the "field" I don't have to spend time here. My decision to spend less time devoted to the Lord made each day more difficult so, even thought it may be more difficult to work on this podcast I will continue to make episodes because of the benefit to my soul. As my kids listen to this when they are older I want them to hear me push through the moments of despair and hear how I abide in Jesus.
This took longer than expected. I was blocked, very stuck in silence. It was strange to feel silenced but, my wife helped me get relief last night and my story came out this morning. Here it is, I hope it speaks to you.
Try your best to see it through. Today's devotional reminded me of a kid's book that I love to read to my kids. It is called "God believes in you" by Holly Bea. It is a book that is motivating to me because each page is a reminder that we all mess up, feel alone, tarry, and so on. Still, through all our phases God continues to believe in us. My favorite line in the book is...
When you have a task to do,
But don't think you can follow through,
Let go of fear and know its true,
That God believes in you.
I work from home and as I sit at my desk and work on things I will sometimes have my son sit in here with me. He has told me that he feels bored when he is in the room and not playing. He will usually start to fiddle with something or try and talk with me but, I can't always work and chat so I ask him to be quiet. I remember being in his situation as a kid and getting used to spending large amounts of time waiting for an adult to finish something or tell me what to do next. Now that I have a family of my own and make many decisions about my life, I need to remember that feeling of being bored and that it is ok. I can sit in boredom for a while and wait for God to tell me what to do next.
Oswald says that we are spiritual messengers. We are all individuals with the Holy Spirit in us and Jesus wants us to tell our unique story to those who want to hear the Truth. How did Jesus specifically take your sins? What sins were those? What sins are you currently struggling with handing over?
Be specific, vulnerable, and courageous so that the Spirit will touch the other person. The truth is amazing to hear, and your testimony can save someone from death. Remember it is not about you, it is not even you who will make the difference because it is Jesus in you. Believe that you have Jesus in you, don't keep him turned down.
I will take some time this week and put my testimony together. I haven't reflected on my long-term testimony in years so this will be nice to remember the work God has done for me thus far.
Thanks again for listening!
It happens, we aren't close to perfect and when we do relapse it is an opportunity to come back stronger in faith. Remember, Daily discipline is a sure way to be on guard and prepared for what is to come. This is a war, ready yourselves with the words of eternal life.
When listening to Gene Getz talk about his book "The measure of a Man" he mentioned how our lives as Christians, should be like cosmetics to the Gospel. What do cosmetics do? They make something look good. When people see the way we Christians live they should be attracted like a bug to light, we ought to draw them in with our lifestyle. Our lives ought to be cosmetics to the Gospel.
Like a coat we no longer need at the end of a season, hang your sin up on your cross. Relinquish (leave behind) your sin. Please, allow the Spirit of God to show you what further there is to relinquish.
Gene talks about 2 Timothy 2:23 "Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, 25 Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, 26 and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will."
From "Men in the arena Podcast - Episode 255"
What gives you hope? How do you set your mind on God's promise?
I want to help you, brothers and sisters, I want to be a helping voice that keeps you from death. Jesus knows what you need to do so see him and ask.
I feel that I have had a heart change and Jesus has kept me from failing for a while now. It is amazing to defeat sin and it is encouraging to know that it is possible. Since I have made huge changes, my wife has also chosen to make huge changes. I am more excited about our marriage than I have ever been. My wife is the most supportive person I have ever met. She is a light in my life and sacrifices her flesh every day to enable a stronger marriage. I never thought my marriage would be like this because it is so radically different. Thanks to God for uplifting our marriage from the depths of despair. It is still hard to admit for some reason but, I feel more dependent on my wife than I ever have. She has sacrificed much to enable my current situation. I am grateful for this but a part of me is afraid to rely on another person to that extent.
With what is going on in my life this season, I finally understand and have the opportunity to live out that classic saying. "What do you expect to come out when you squeeze an orange? Orange Juice! What do you expect to come out when you squeeze a Christian? Jesus!"
This is very hard but possible if we turn to Jesus each day of our life. Doing this devotional and podcast allow me to turn to Jesus each day and I love it! I have to give up a lot of my time and spend it with Jesus. I realized that if I don't put Jesus in then how can I expect Jesus out? I can't! I was tired of not putting Jesus in and getting absolute garbage out!
Jesus is real, Jesus does work if we apply it correctly and the Bible helps explain what Jesus wants. In 2 Corinthians, Paul explains how only following the bible or the law will kill and Jesus told us to believe he is King and when we have faith he will send the Holy Spirit to bring us the remembrance of who he is. Remembrance is defined as the ability to remember or the act of recalling to mind. The law can tell us some of what Jesus did and what his disciples thought of him and that is great but that alone won't save us. Giving our lives to Jesus and keeping his commandments and truly living for Him will grant us the power of the Holy Spirit and that is how we are given life as Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. Without the Holy Spirit, we can't do the things that Jesus wants us to live out. It is not about going to church each week and reading the bible and reciting the bible as much as possible. It is about being Spirit-led!
Spend your time with the Lord when you want to, and when you don't want to be still and undistracted and search for Jesus. It has to be something you want. I hope this episode encourages someone to want to see Jesus and discover something amazing as a result.
I love doing this podcast and it has brought up the idea of having episodes where I talk about the Christian music I listen to. There are many days when a specific song is in my head and it encourages me to live the day or a moment for Jesus. I want to promote these Christian artists and reflect on the ways where their lyrics helped me be a little more faithful.
Not sure if or when I would do this but It is something I think would be fun to do. I will do Oswald's devotional every day until it's finished but some days a devotional may not resonate with me and having something else to put out here would be a way to keep me engaged in my brain and soul.
What do you think?
As far as today's devotional, I feel it was hitting on the point that we have no choice but to serve with absolute loyalty to Our Lord's commission.
If you are in ministry your self I would love to talk with you about your story and how you take advantage of the opportunity you see.
I listened to an old podcast that had Patrick Morley on to talk about a book he released at the time called "The Christian Man". In that podcast, Patrick talks about work and I thought It would make sense to mention it here because Oswald brings up the way work can interfere with our purpose as a Christian. I always had a tough time doing the usual tasks of jobs I had. Being empathetic with the customer, keeping the client relationship personal and many other things annoyed me. With the corporations I worked for, we needed to do certain things to serve the customers and it was all about money. At non-profits, I have worked for the ethical guidelines that seemed good but conflicted with things a Christian ought to do. As I have been allowing Jesus to take me to another career I am so pumped to have a job where my Christian belief can be my work ethic.
Patrick has a quote in that book that says "If what you do is who you are, then who are you when you don't do what you do anymore?" Patrick touches on how men can find their identity in their work. So if that work is not centered on Jesus and doing the ministry work, isn't it ultimately a distraction from who Jesus wants us to be? In the book, Patrick says "God wants us to go find some unredeemed corner and claim it for the glory of Christ." For me, I see personal training being my unredeemed corner. Working out makes my heart beat fast and puts a smile on my face.
If this speaks to you, reach out to me on Twitter so we can chat!
The podcast I got this from was Men in the Arena Podcast, episode 245.
In what ways do you feel united with God?
In my case, I am stepping away from my aspirations to be in a certain career. Jesus says that he will bring the Counselor to those who believe. The Spirit of truth has been guiding me into all the truth. Oswald has helped me realize God's unfailing love for me by guiding me through scripture. Now that I know I am Loved and I Love Him, I feel ready to Feed those who are hungry. This commission to feed His sheep will be difficult and lifelong but I am inspired. I feel united because of the influence which has been in my life, knowing it is not my own. I have been influenced by the Holy Spirit many times in conversation with people recently. Many have seemed to be drawn to me to speak about the Lord and I have been encouraged to start conversations with random people about Jesus.
I am pumped to be doing this. It has helped me find a way to process the events I experience. It is my time to spend being guided by the holy spirit on the next steps I am to take. Even if this podcast has no listeners, I will continue doing it because It has given me a way to interpret life. I won't give up the time I spend here for anything else. If you spend your time listening to this, thanks. It means a lot that you would give your time to listen to what I have to say. I want to encourage you more by having a conversation with you. Reach out to me on Twitter @billofthoughts. If this has made an impact on you please let me know how. It would be motivating to me to know that someone has felt inspired by this channel.
Are you spending each day devoted to Jesus?
Reading through John today was huge for me. I felt like I read through it for the first time and picked up on many things that the Almighty does. I do not want my common sense ideas and goals to compete with God's plans. I love how Oswald touches on the sense of duty and how it's not a sin however, it is still a wrong place to be since it hinders our understanding of what Jesus wants. I feel like I am currently breaking out of a cycle of duty in my life and in the process of abandoning that, I am trusting in the Lord to provide. My common sense duty has led me to a reliance on the Almighty to provide so that Is what I will pray for.
Are you finding yourself defending your common sense ideas in this season of life?
Disciples - "Rabbi, eat"
Jesus - "I have food to eat of which you do not know"
I love this exchange in John4:31 because I would Imagine the disciples left to get food expecting Jesus was hungry for the food just as they were since they were all traveling together. It seems that Jesus got so fired up from his conversation with the woman at the well that he blasts the disciples with the truth. They get back and see Jesus there and simply want him to eat and gather strength but he said, No!
Jesus - "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives the wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
Its as if Jesus set the whole scene up, knowing that the woman would be there and his disciples would get food that someone else prepared. Its as if all along he would not eat but, teach everyone a lesson.
I have lost about 20 pounds in the last month and a half. Before I lost the weight, I knew I could lost some weight but not 20+ lbs. and I still could lose some more. The reason I wanted to lose weight was so I could get pictures together for my personal training website. Around the same time I had recently started Oswald's devotional and in the past I have done different fasting styles as a way to manage my weight. This time I used my fasting time to be hungry for the Lord. So I totally felt it when Jesus said "My food is to do the will of him who sent me". As I fast I discover there are so many more ways to be fed and they are better than actual food because they feed my soul. It it seeking His will and accomplishing Gods work that truly feeds me.
I hope you enjoy todays episode and it speaks some truth to your life. Remember to reach out to me on Twitter https://twitter.com/billofthoughts
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
Reading this broke some barriers down for me because I am currently at the beginning of serving someone in my life in a huge way. Just as Paul relied on brethren from Macedo'nia, I will be relying on others to fill me up in order for me to have my needs supplied while I serve. I met a new brother in Christ this past Saturday and he was happy to serve me as he was able and I need more connections like that. I am out in the world looking to encourage and be encouraged. Please reach out to me on Twitter if you need encouragement. @billofthoughts
I did not mention this but I feel the determination to serve is a daily devotion we must keep active every single day. If we aren't determined each day to please the lord through service we run the chance of running dry. How do you remain determined?
Can you confidently say you have the trust in the Lord to be still when the storm comes?
This was a problematic devotional since it is a weak spot in my faith. When the storm comes and I have the opportunity to be still or act out of my own weakness I tend to choose the ladder. Though this is the case, I have been allowing God to convict me and turn this weakness into a strength. This year has been full of opportunities for me to set aside my old patterns of self-reliance and trust in the Lord to keep me. I refuse to shy away from speaking about my weak points since they will turn into bright spots where the Lord shines through. My testimony is full of failure so I encourage you to share your faults truthfully.
Thoughts on February 21st entry from My Utmost For His Highest.
In this episode, I share Oswald's entry and talk about my thoughts that came up as I reflected on it.
I invite you to think about the ways in which you keep yourself from treating your neighbor to acts of kindness from your heart and why.
I also share an answer to my question from the last episode.
Please share this podcast with someone if you think it would benefit them. Is there one person in your world who could use some inspiration to be honest?
In this episode, I share my thoughts on the February 20th devotional from Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest. I share the devotional its self then I spend some time talking about the things that stand out to me and how they apply to my life. Thanks for taking your time to listen to this, I hope it adds to your life today.
This is my first real episode. A goal of this channel is to have some community interaction. I want to hear from other people who have read this devotional, or how this episode has spoken to you.
This intro is meant to describe the goal of this channel in the current season of my life. As I develop my relationship with Jesus this channel will follow that journey. For now, I am excited to share what I am experiencing as I read Oswald Chamber's devotional. My current aim in life is to go after the hearts of men. Before I decided to answer God's call earlier this year, I was on a downward spiral. I hope this podcast can reach at least one person's heart and add inspiration to make the necessary changes to take the spiritual initiative. Remember, we can always change who we are and with the help of Jesus, those changes will make deposits that will be eternal.