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October Book of the Month

Title: What are you Thinking? Winning the battle of your Mind
Author: Dr. Mark Agan, Pastor of Community Baptist Church in Siler City, NC
Paperback, 120 pages
Where can you buy it? Amazon author page
Age appropriate: adults and seniors (as it has larger print)

WHAT is it about? It looks at what the mind is, exposes Satan’s tactics in trying to destroy it and it finishes with 7 specific principles to implement to win the battle over your mind.

WHAT caught my attention about this book? I was wanting to do a study on the mind/our thoughts so the title caught my attention. I was already familiar with the author as he went to Bible college with my husband in the late 80’s.

WHAT other books did it remind me of? “Rewired: Recognizing and Retraining Wrong Thinking ” by R.B. Ouellette

WHAT did I learn? SO much!! I rarely read an entire book through because I will get started and the Holy Spirit starts showing me things and then I write a Bible study lesson on it. This book though, I COULD NOT put down! It just kept going and going! I did write a Bible study lesson from it and you can read it here. I believe that you will gain a lot from it. So be sure to check it out.

WHAT did I like most about this book? It was very down to earth and very easy to understand and to apply personally. His style of writing resonates with me in a very positive way. I glean much from him.

WAS it easy to read? It was a VERY easy read! The long part about it was the personal application because it is chocked full of golden nuggets to apply.

WHY would I recommend this book? See the PROS section below. This is really the first book of his that I have read, but I have followed along on FB and any devotional thoughts that he has posted have always been an eye catcher and a heart grabber.

Favorite quote/thought:
“To act is easy, to think is hard.” – Johann von Goethe
“The biggest battle that we face is between our ears.” – Mark Agan
If Satan can control what we think, he will control what we do.
“Don’t keep ASKING for victory, start ACTING in victory!” — Mark Agan

** PROS **
*very easy to read
*a quick read
*full of biblical scripture application
*easy to follow along and to understand
*fairly wide margins to make notations in

Final Thoughts: YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!! You need your own copy in your library because there is just WAY too much in it to glean from!

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“When God is BIG … and people are SMALL: Fear of God”

Theme verse:  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom [the ability to discern; wise in judgement]: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

Introduction: Before we go into this week’s lesson, let’s touch on a point that we did not cover last week. Last week we talked about how people become bigger than God in our lives. There is a single word for this … idolatry.

What is idolatry? Is it simply the worship of an idol? No. Idolatry is more prevalent in our lives than we realize because in truth, idolatry is when we spend extra time (specifically away from God) on people or things. It is something that you have become strongly attached to or have a strong affection for.

Now knowing the true definition of idolatry, would you not say that when people become BIG in your life, you (unintentionally) become strongly attached to them? Your whole focus and world seems to revolve around THEM … people, does it not?

It does not even have to be people. It can be our jobs that consume us and that we become so attached to. It can even be our feelings (or emotions) that consume us and that we become too attached to.

All of this goes back to Pastor’s message the other Sunday … ALL of these are based on our CHOICES. We CHOOSE what we fill our minds and our time with … and sadly,

“What consumes your mind controls your life” — Unknown

Remember that we spoke about how we cannot serve two masters … we will either hate the one or love the other (Matthew 6:24)? When people (or anything else) are BIG, they control our lives … they are our masters, and we are their servants.

What does God’s Word say we are to do in situations like this? Luke 4:8 Jesus shows us by His example … “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Defining the Fear of God:

It “is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience.”1

“Fear of the Lord means reverent submission that leads to obedience.”2 – Edward T. Welch

Our fear must change!

Our FOCUS must change:

  1. Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Our SUBMISSION must change:

  • Submission is “to yield to the governance or authority of.”3 Lord, here’s my life! You control it!
  • James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
  • When we do not surrender ourselves to God’s plan and will for our lives, we are not only making ourselves miserable, but MORE than likely we are pulling someone else along with us!!! Eeeks, ladies!!! Did you just see that picture in your mind’s eye?? Who are you pulling along with you into your disobedience to God and His Word?? I GUARANTEE that someone else is following you … or at the minimum being affected by you and your actions or attitudes.

Our OBEDIENCE must change:

  • Our obedience must change:
  • Acts 5:29b “…We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Our LOVE must change:

  • I John 4:19 “We love Him, because He first loved us.”
  • I John 4: 16b-18 “…God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect … There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
  • When it comes to love, our actions will ALWAYS speak louder than words alone. Do I need to repeat this? Our actions WILL ALWAYS speak louder than our words alone. I was just thinking this past week of doing a lesson on our loves.

Our TALK must change:

  • Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
  • Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
  • Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Our THOUGHTS (mind) must change:

  • Philippians 2:4 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
  • Tearing down the strongholds of our imagination (II Corinthians 10:3-5).
  • Filling our minds with the right things, the positive things (Philippians 4:8).
  • What we think and dwell on is our own choice. A thought may cross our minds, but we do not have to let it stay there. [illus: birds may light on our head but we do not have to let them build a nest there] [illus: someone says something and we pick up on one phrase that about drives us crazy as to what they meant by it; when in truth they never meant anything adverse by it, but it was the way our minds made up the meaning of it]

“The person who fears the Lord will fear nothing else.”4 – Edward T. Welch

Conclusion: You can tell God how big your problem is, but don’t forget to tell your problem how BIG your God is too! Psalm 95:3 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Printable PDF of Bible Study Lesson

1 FEAR – Definition from the KJV Dictionary (av1611.com)

2 Welch, Edward T, “When people are big and God is small” p. 97

3 Submit | Definition of Submit by Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)

4 Welch, Edward T, “When people are big and God is small” p. 96

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“When people are BIG … and God is SMALL”

“And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”   I Samuel 15:24 KJV

Introduction: When our fear of man becomes bigger than our fear of God, people become VERY BIG in our lives … and consequently, they then control and rule our lives. These people may or may not be intentionally causing this fear in our hearts and in our lives, but they can do it by their words or by their actions.

Fear has two definitions on TOTALLY different spectrums … Definition #1: a strong unpleasant emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger; anxious concern; to be afraid of …Definition #2: a profound reverence and awe toward God.

Who is affected by people?

ALL of us (at some time or another) … it is not just the timid, church mouse person, but even people who seem big and bold can be affected [illus: Peter when he denied Christ 3x]

How do people get BIGGER than God?

  • When we get our eyes off of God [illus: Peter walking on water]
  • Mind/imaginations (shadows are so big; they distract us from the real deal)

Satan is a LIAR!!!

He is going to cause some deadly things to happen in our Chrisitan life to make people BIG and God SMALL … but DO NOT believe him!

  • Deceive – to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid; to ensnare [trap]

  • Distress [verb; expresses an act or mode of being] – to subject to great strain or difficulties; to cause to worry or be troubled; upset

  • Distract – to draw or direct (something, such as someone’s attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time; to turn aside; to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives

  • Depress – to cause to sink to a lower position; to press down; to lessen the activity or strength of

  • Discourage – dishearten; to deprive of courage or confidence; to hinder by disfavoring

How can we overcome the wiles of Satan … for ANY situation? The same way that Christ did in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). What do these scriptures teach us?

  1. Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
  2. Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
  3. Ephesians 6:10 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
  4. Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
  5. Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
  6. Jeremiah 17:5 – “Thus said the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”
  7. Psalm 62:5-8 – “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” [Song: God is my Refuge]
  8. Psalm 118:8 – “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” [illus: this is the middle verse of the Bible; notice what the middle two words are]
  9. Matthew 5:43-44 – “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
  10. Ephesians 6:18 – “Praying always with all prayer [talking to God; asking a request/petition] and supplication [to ask humbly and fervently] in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

Conclusion: When we let fear slip into our lives, people will get bigger than God. Let us not just bury our heads in the sand and not acknowledge that there is a problem … that in truth we are sinning when we fear man. Confess it to God and let Him change that fear to trust in Him to lead and to guide us aright.

Homework: Prayerfully consider these questions and answer them as God speaks to you.

  1. In what area or areas of my life are people BIG right now?
  2. What situations or people control how I am acting and reacting?
  3. What deadly D has Satan made me to believe in this situation?
  4. What verses can I use to refute Satan in this situation?
  5. How can I make God bigger than my fear?

Printable PDF of Bible Study Lesson

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Reflecting Christ in our Home

“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children …” Proverbs 13:22a KJV

I know as mothers we each desire to raise our children well. But, in reality, we are human and we will make mistakes. Not one of us is perfect. You have made mistakes. I have made mistakes. We all have made mistakes. We all have done something … or many things … that we regret or will regret. Things that we wish that we could go back and change. But, unfortunately, those things are in our past. There is no changing them.

There is something that we can do with our past though … we can turn it over to Jesus. We can go to Him and tell Him where we have failed and ask Him to forgive us … and He will.

Then, looking forward, we must ask God to show us what ways that we can reflect Him and His Word into the lives of our children, our children’s children (our grandchildren), and the children for generations to come. The interesting thing about reflection is that it only reflects what is there.

So, what qualities do we need in our lives to be able to
reflect Christ to our children and grandchildren?

Prayer —

  • Prayer is a powerful tool of the Christian that can break barriers that we cannot break.
  • You never know how powerful prayer is until you pray.
  • We cannot do anything in our own strength. We cannot change. We cannot heal. But we do have a God who can. John 5:30a “I can of mine own self do nothing …” How many times have we told ourselves that “WE can do this!”? But we cannot! Only GOD can!
  • There are going to be things in our lives and our children’s lives and our grandchildren’s lives that look impossible to change for the better … but they can … with God! Matthew 19:26b “…With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

You will never know how powerful PRAYER is … until you PRAY.

God’s Word –

  • What kind of personal devotions do you have?
  • Yes, we may have small children, but we must take time for our own spiritual growth. We cannot help someone else grow if we are not growing.
  • Not only that but God’s Word is just that God speaking to us. So, when we need guidance and answers to life’s questions, where are we to get them? Well, as Christians, it should be from God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Lover of the body of Christ (the church) –

  • We show love best by actions. The phrase “actions speak louder than words” is so true. What are we showing our children?
  • Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.”
  • If we make excuses for not attending church, our children will learn to make excuses for not attending church. This is a dangerous roller-coaster to be on!

Unconditional Love –

  • Sometimes our children will do some very hurtful (or embarrassing) things to us. But we must ALWAYS love as Jesus would … and the only way that we can do that is if He is living inside of us. Jesus’ love NEVER fails … I Corinthians 13:8a “Charity [love] never faileth.”

We must ALWAYS love as Jesus would.

Grace –

  • Grace is defined as “God’s unmerited (unearned) favor.”
  • God bestowed His grace upon us at Calvary. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
  • Let us show His grace to our children. Let us show them favor even when it is unearned.

Forgiveness –

  • We must set the example of forgiving others … Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
  • Bitterness is a hard thing to swallow and if left, it will destroy not only you but all those around you.

Peace –

  • Only God can give us true peace. John 14:27a “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you …”
  • If we want peace in our homes, we are going to have to seek that peace from above.

Past –

  • Put your past behind you, mommas! Don’t keep dredging it up. The ugliness of it does not get any prettier the more that we wallow in it.
  • The Bible says to admit that we have sinned (confess that sin to God) and God will forgive us. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Hope –

  • Psalm 42:11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE thou IN GOD: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
  • God can restore! God can heal! Where there is life, there is hope. May we find our HOPE in HIM!
  • Romans 5:5a “And hope maketh not ashamed …”

Where there is life, there is hope. NEVER, ever give up on your children, mommas!

Is our reflection perfect? Are we perfect mommas now? No. But, God only requires us to be obedient to Him and He will take care of the rest. So, momma, are you willing to be obedient to Him?

Remember that it does not matter what your past has been. God can forgive you if you confess and repent of those sins to Him.

He has a greater plan now for you … Jeremiah 29:11, 13 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end … And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Let’s go searching for Him, mommas, so that we can be reflecting Christ in our homes!

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I Fell to My Knees … and Cried, Father!

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I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you.

“… Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

As I struggled to find peace about a topic for July’s Devotional Study Sheet, this title came to mind with its focus on prayer. July is the month that we celebrate this country’s freedom. So, why choose prayer? Because for us to maintain our freedom in this country, it is going to require MUCH prayer.

Prayer is a dying commodity in this day and age. I am not talking about the lack of prayer in the general populace. No, my friend, I am talking about prayer in the life of true genuine believers — ones just like you and me.

In today’s society, it is so easy to be swept up in all of the drama of the moment. It is a time in which we find ourselves so paralyzed by the overwhelming flood of social media, that we drastically fail at living. This is a ploy of the devil, and a very effective one at that.

Our faith is on trial here. Your faith and my faith are on trial. How strong do you find yours? I find mine very weak.

So, what are we to do? We must strengthen our faith. How are we to do this? First, by arming ourselves with God’s Word. We must find ourselves in His Word DAILY. Strength and comfort are found there.

The second most important part of this equation is PRAYER. I recently started reading E. M. Bounds’ book entitled “E. M. Bounds on Prayer.” I am not sure when or where I purchased it, but I found it in my mini library and have dug right in.

This book from the outside is quite a daunting force. Why? Because it contains 622 pages!! Yes, that is not a typo! It is a very THICK book.

As soon as I opened to the first page though, my attention was caught never to be let go again! This book is incredible! It amazes me how a man who lived his life from 1835-1913 can have such applicable examples of prayer for us today.

Furthermore, Mr. Bounds could not have chosen a more clinching title for the first chapter than “The Force That Shapes the World.” What is that force? It is PRAYER!

If you find yourself, like me, in a depressed, overwhelmed, and fearful place with all that is going on around us, this book will most assuredly calm your heart and give you hope for not only the day but for the future too!

I have not given the daily devotions sub-topics this month on purpose. Not every passage will speak specifically about prayer, but they will have a principle that is valuable for our prayer life. You will also notice that many of the days have multiple verses. This is to give us a more full picture of the principles to be learned that day.

I do not know if I will be able to finish the entire book during the month of July, but I know what I gain from it will be most treasured in my walk with God. If you are interested in getting your hands on a copy of “E. M. Bounds on Prayer,” you can purchase it at a very reasonable price on Amazon (and free shipping, if you have Amazon Prime). Note: if you do purchase it through this link, I will receive a small commission through Amazon’s Affiliate program at no extra charge to you.

There is power in prayer!

May this month be one in which we find our faith strengthened through prayer!

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Part 3: What is that in thine hand? Using what God has given you to your fullest potential

 “And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” Exodus 4:2

Two weeks ago in Part 1, we saw five lies that the devil tells us … and that we so gullibly believe … that hinder us from using what God has given to us to our fullest potential. Last week in Part 2, we saw where we must go for our instruction on how to use what God has given us and that is the Word of God. This week we will try to wrap all of this up.

God made each one of us unique. He also made each one of us with certain skills or talents (as the Bible calls them). In Matthew 25:14-30, we read about the parable of the talents. What is a parable? It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. So, what meaning or what lesson does God want us to learn from this passage in regard to using what we have in our hand?

We see first of all that the lord gave EACH one of his servants at least ONE talent, did he not? What did he then expect his servants to do with that talent? To use it, correct? God has done the same for us. He has given EACH one of us at least ONE talent to USE.

How are we to use the talent or talents that God gives to us? Well, Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” So, clearly we must use it for God FIRST. THEN afterward, He will help take care of the rest of our needs.

How do we do this? Use your talent in God’s house. Church congregations are not as large as they used to be. There are so many churches struggling and closing their doors today and it is so sad. God ordained the church and He sustains the church through the giving of His children. This is done first and foremost through the giving of our tithes and offerings. Then it is also seen through each of us giving our service in some capacity within the church. God did not save us to be a hit-and-miss Christian. Neither did He save us to warm a pew. Use your talent in God’s house, my friend!

Right now, more than ever, people are struggling financially to support their families. I know it is extremely hard and I am not belittling this in any way. But, this is no time to despair, my friend! God already knew before you did what you would be facing today because He “knoweth what things ye have need of, BEFORE ye [even] ask him.” Matthew 6:8. He is not one bit surprised.

How can He be so confident? It is because He already has given you exactly what you need to do this! Yes, you heard me correctly. You right this very minute hold in your hand the very tool needed to provide for your family. The question is, are you using it?

Remember the devil lies. He is going to try to make you believe that it is someone else’s fault that you are where you are. That is a lie. He is going to try to make you believe that nothing can be done with what you currently have available to you. That is a lie. How do I know this? Because I read Matthew 25:14-30.

Nowhere in my Bible did it say that any of the servants exchanged talents because their lord gave them the wrong one. My Bible does say though that each servant who used their talent … what God put in their hand … He MULTIPLIED it! Yes, He MULTIPLIED each and every one of the talents that were USED!! Is not this the greatest news that you ever heard?

USE what is in your hand right now, my friend! Do not worry about tomorrow or the next day or next week or next month. You have in your hand TODAY exactly what you need!!

You may have only received one talent, but be FAITHFUL with that one talent. Use it! God will bless your faithfulness with even the smallest talent that He gave you.

That servant who never used his talent reaped nothing! Do not be like that servant. Do not lose it! For then you will have nothing.

The sower never reaps what he does not sow, but he always reaps more than he sowed.

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Part 2: What is That in Thine Hand? Using what God has given You to your Fullest Potential

 “And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” Exodus 4:2

Last week in Part 1, we saw five lies that the devil tells us … and that we so gullibly believe … that hinder us from using what God has given to us to our fullest potential.

Life is full of struggles — health, finances, family, relationships, church, etc. I have struggled. You have struggled. Others struggle. Some of us have been so stuck in our struggles that we now sound like a broken record. Our continual whining and complaining and bemoaning and whatever pet name that we have for it has gotten old. We are tired of it and everyone else around us is tired of hearing about it.

I am in no means belittling our struggles because we all have struggles, but it is what we do with our struggles that really counts. So, how do we get past all of these struggles? How do we move through them? How do we conquer them? The answer to all of these questions is this: We do this through Christ.

First and foremost, we have got to get our eyes off of self and the woe-is-me attitude and get our focus back onto God. In our monthly Devotional Study Sheet this month, we are learning so much about how God is our all. In fact, this week we learned that our worth [value] comes from God. We also learned that our instruction must come from God as well.

So, what better place to help us in our life’s struggles than the Word of God.

1.  We must look unto Jesus — Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …” He is the beginning, He is the end, and He is everything in between. Why do we struggle so with unbelief that our Creator will not take care of us? Peter proved to us what happens when we get our eyes on the circumstances around us and off of God (Matthew 14:30-31).

2.  We must rest in confidence that God sees and knows — Matthew 6:8 “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” BEFORE we can even ask, He knows!

3.  We must face these struggles in God’s strength — Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We believe ourselves to be so tough; yet, what strength we forfeit by not letting Him be our strength. He is the omnipotent One! He is the all-powerful One!

4.  We must allow God to provide for us — Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” So many times I have slipped into the mode of self-preservation, which is completely opposite of what God wants for me and for you.

5.  We must use what God has given us — Exodus 4:2 “And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” How many times have you and I struggled through life looking for answers, when God had already put the rod in our hand? All we had to do was peel the blinders back to see what God had already provided and then use it!

Peel the blinders back, my friend, and join us here next week to see what God will reveal to us through His Word!

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Part 1: What is that in Thine hand? Using what God has given you to your fullest potential

 “And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” Exodus 4:2

This topic has been on my heart and mind for some time now. I pray that God will give me mental clarity and my lips His words for I feel that too many of us need to hear what God wants us to hear about this.

We hurry and we scurry and fill our days to the fullest, but do we truly use what God has given us to our fullest potential?

It is so easy to get stuck into a certain mindset … into a rut, if you will. Do not start pointing fingers yet because you may be there right now and did not even have a clue. I know that I have been here. Sadly, it is not just confined to a certain race or a certain profession, and it is just as widespread in the church as it is out of the church.

What hinders us from living our lives to their fullest potential? Sometimes it is important to stop the merry-go-round of life and step off long enough to get a clear picture of what is really happening around us. To see where we really are headed in life.

Satan is the master hinderer. He is also a master at deceiving us into believing his lies. So, let us look at some lies that he uses to hinder us:

1.  By being busy, I accomplish more — This is so clearly portrayed in the contrast between Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was so “cumbered about [with] much serving,” yet, Christ said that, “Mary hath chosen the good part.” Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet was the one who was blessed the most. Yes, we must serve, but we cannot fail to forget the “good part” either!

2.  Believing that all things are created equal; consequently, not setting priorities — The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 6:33 that we are to, “seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Setting and living by priorities in our lives are so important and at the top of that list must be God. If we fail to do just this one simple thing, it can mess up everything else in our lives in a hurry.

3.  Feeling that we are not good enough — This feeling most often comes when we compare ourselves to others. II Corinthians 10:12 informs us that this is a very unwise practice. God “fearfully and wonderfully made” each one of us (Psalm 139:14). He did not make us to sit off to the side. No, my friend! He made us to use us. We are special to him and that is what counts!

4.  It looks too much like work — Sometimes we ignore what we are carrying in our hand because we do not want to use it. It may look too much like work to us! But, II Thessalonians 3:10 tells us that, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” If we want sustenance physically for ourselves and for our families, we must work to provide for that.

5.  It does not matter how I do the job as long as it gets done — Umm … no! That is not what God says. God says in  II Corinthians 10:12 that “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” We must do it with care and purpose. We must do it from the heart!

Come back next week as we continue with Part 2 … finding out how we can use what God has put in our hands!

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Thirty Years and Counting: Cultivating a Lasting Relationship

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

What is involved in this cultivating? It is defined as preparing, fostering the growth of, encouraging, and developing. The word cultivating sounds too much like work to me. Is that what it sounds like to you? In truth, cultivating does involve work.

Yet, life has proven that things left untended or uncultivated quickly die. They seem to constantly struggle to the point where they finally give up. Not only is their life shortened, but they are cheated out of their full potential. This is where in marriage you hear, “I do not love them anymore.”

“I do not love them anymore.”

This past week, my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. It is amazing how fast time flies. In one respect, it seems like yesterday, yet on the other hand, it seems like it has always been. Reaching this milestone in my life and in our marriage has caused me to ponder what has been, what could have been, and what could be in our relationship.

I will be the first one to admit that I have not always been the best wife, nor the one that is the easiest to get along with. Actually, looking back, there are many things that I regret or times that I wished that I had acted or spoken differently.

I believe though that there are some things in life that have to be lived and learned. By focusing my reflections on these things, I will be able to do more cultivating in the future in my marriage.

Today I would like to share some things that God has shown me, during my time of reflection, in how to truly cultivate a lasting relationship. Not only with my spouse, but, surprisingly these are the exact same principles that will also cultivate a more lasting and beneficial relationship with God.

¨ We must be united as one — Matthew 19:6
¨ We must draw together — James 4:8
¨ We must love unconditionally — I Corinthians 13
¨ We must stick closer than a brother — Proverbs 18:24
¨ We must be fruitful in all areas — Genesis 1:28
¨ We must be a helpmeet — Genesis 2:18
¨ We must communicate in every area — Philippians 4:6
¨ We must surrender our authority to God’s chain of authority — Ephesians 5:22-24
¨ We must not be weary — Galatians 6:9
¨ We must sow if we want to reap — II Corinthians 9:6

This, by far, is not an all-inclusive list, but it surely is a good starting place, is it not? There are so many other key factors that could be added here, such as, communication, forgiveness, selflessness, etc. I am sure that you could very quickly even name a few to add to the list.

I believe that they all boil down to one main key and that is found in II Corinthians 9:6 where we find the law of sowing and reaping. You will get out of any relationship what you put into it. So, sow and cultivate wisely, my friend, for you will reap the benefits for many years to come, and some at an even greater degree.

You will get out of any relationship what you put into it.

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Sunday Savourings: Flattening the Curve

 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” James 4:8

Much talk today is surrounded by “flattening the curve” … the Coronavirus curve that is. Not only much talk, but much work has been involved in learning not only 1) what it is but 2) what the cause is, 3) how it is spread, 4) how to eliminate it, and 5) how to keep from getting it in the future … to flatten the curve.

Is there such a thing in the spiritual realm … as flattening the curve?

Today, I would like us to open our spiritual eyes and see what this term means for you and me as Christians. Is there even such a thing in the spiritual realm … as flattening the curve? I truly believe so! Let us look at just that:

1) What is it? In the spiritual realm, it is called SIN. Unlike the Coronavirus though, ALL of us have it as Romans 3:23 tells us … “For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” It is that sin that inflates the curve. It is that very sin that separates us from a righteous and holy God … Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

2) What is the cause of that sin? The Bible is very clear that it was by ONE man’s sin … “Wherefore, as by ONE man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon ALL men, for that ALL have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) It was the first man, Adam. It was his sin that day in the Garden. Now, every man after him is born in sin. The Coronavirus started with just ONE and now look at how many it has affected.

3) How is sin spread? Before we can understand how sin is spread, we must first realize where it resides. It resides in the heart of man. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” But James 1 goes on to tell us that “when lust [temptation] hath conceived [is acted upon], it bringeth forth sin … [then] when [sin] is finished, [it] bringeth forth death.” A death far worse than any victim of the Coronavirus has ever experienced. For it is a death, for all of those who have chosen to live a life of sin, that is followed by everlasting punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46).

4) How do we eliminate sin? Washing! So simple, yet so often overlooked, is it not? I have never washed my hands so thoroughly my entire life as I have these past weeks with the Coronavirus. Why? Because I wanted to flatten the curve. I wanted to do my part. We need that washing that comes from God’s Word as well (Ephesians 5:26). When we apply God’s Word and confess our sins (I John 1:9), HE (God alone) is able to cleanse us. What a magnificent cleansing that is too! 

Exposing yourself to God and His Word flattens the curve of sin.

5) How do we keep from getting it in the future? Immunity. For Christians, it is not exposure to sin and the world that brings immunity. No, my friend! It is the exposure to God and His Word! It is building a wall or layer of protection around our whole entire being. In the scripture, it is known as the Christian’s armor. Ephesians 6:11-12 tells us that we are to “Put on the WHOLE armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against … against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Sin inflates. Drawing nigh to God flattens the curve.

Sin inflates. So, in order for you and I, my friend, to flatten the curve in our lives we must simply “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.” Draw closer to Him … flatten the curve!

A printable version of this devotion is available.