SPIRIT OF PRAISE I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayers for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: Please Lord save me! How kind the Lord is! How good is he, “So merciful this God of ours.” Psalm 116:1-5. WISDOM SPEAKS Every word of God proves true. He is a shield for all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his word, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a lair. O God I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First help me never to tell a lie. Second give me neither poverty or riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I’m to poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. Proverbs 30:5-9. (We might be more likely to be effective if we are content to be neither rich or poor) PRAISE FOR BEING ALIVE You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colossians 2:13-15. Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at Gods right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ who is your life, is revealed to the whole world you will share in all his glory. Colossians 3:1-4. When we are hidden with Christ, we are concealed and safe. Our service and conduct do not earn our salvation, but they are the results of our salvation. Believe that your salvation is assured, and live each day for Christ. Christ gives us power to live for him now, and he gives us hope for the future, he will return. How futile were our lives before we followed Christ? I can say that mine was one that Satan was proud of. I broke every commandment in my search for what? I know that whatever that was; I never found it or could not obtain it without him. I was deep within my sin nature. Satan was having his way with me. I knew Christ but never knew him. I thought I did. When I surrendered my life, I gave my life over to God and really started to know him!!!!!
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 12:29:17 +0000