HELP IS THERE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

I think we all intellectually “get” spiritual warfare.

 

Temptation, sin, challenges, the lures, and trappings of a sinful world are around every corner, behind the next building, one channel away, or up the street bathed in neon lights. We get that. Sometimes we don’t want to admit its potential impact on us, but we do “get” that the "option" for sinful behavior permeates every nook and cranny of our culture.

 

I also believe that we understand that these temptations are vying for our attention 24/7, 365!  Remember who we are up against (John 10:10)

 

Friends there are times for all of us where this battle for our minds and our decisions seems impossible to win. There are occasions when the pull of the temptation feels too strong and the enticement is well, just too “enticing”. We all have moments where the words of the enemy seem sweeter, more persuasive, and more convincing.

 

And when that happens, we can’t fool ourselves into thinking we can handle an advance from the enemy like that alone.

 

We MUST PAUSE and ASK FOR HELP!

 

Way too often we feel that we alone can weather the temptation. 

Too often our pride gets in the way.

We fool ourselves into thinking we can “resist” the temptation on our own. And while when we do resist the enemy WILL flee (James 4:7), we can’t be prideful for we know where that leads. (Proverbs 16:18)

 

Take it from someone who has tried to “white-knuckle” my way through a night without drinking, who has driven past “the club” at 7pm only to return at 9pm, fighting this battle alone just doesn’t work.

 

Be we are not alone in the struggle. 

Paul fought the same stuff. 

I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? Romans 7:24 (MSG)

 

But Paul also realized that HE HAD HELP!

 

(Is there no one who can do anything for me…)

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. 

He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions...Romans 7:25 (MSG)

 

Therefore, we must be quick to leverage our ever-present HELP!

(The LORD is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble – Psalm 46) so that we can not only weather the challenge, but overcome them!

 

I want to encourage all of us to remember today to PAUSE and ASK FOR HELP! 

There is NO shame in that. Ever. 

We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. Hebrews 4:15 (MSG)

 

So, take that scripture, that truth to heart today. If you’re personal battle is furious; if temptation and sin are pelting you from every side, WALK RIGHT UP AND GET WHAT HE WANTS TO GIVE, the HELP!

 

I love you all!

Have a blessed DAY!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

ACTIVE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

“This is my living faith, an active faith, a faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote, scream, sin, repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh, cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle, hide, and seek.” ― Terry Tempest Williams, Leap

 

Yesterday I encouraged you to PARTICIPATE, in other words to ACTIVATE!  

So that brings me to today’s question… 

Is yours an ACTIVE faith?  Do VERBS dominate?

 

Many of you even as January already is nearing an end, embraced ACTION WORDS for the NEW YEAR. Many of you are taking action toward things like a healthier lifestyle for example. 

Therefore, you have been using VERBS like...

Diet.

Exercise.

Resolve.

 

And while those things are important… (1 Timothy 4:7 MSG)

Workouts in the gymnasium are useful,...

…Paul says a disciplined life (an ACTIVE SPIRITUAL) life is far more important.

...but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart.

 

So what actions have you decided to take as the NEW YEAR is still fresh and the enthusiasm high?

Remember, action words aren’t limited to the “physical”.

No!

Action words like REPENT, FORGIVE, PRAY, INVEST. Those too are good ones; GOOD VERBS that need EXERCISED!

 

For example, with repentance GRACE is set into motion. 

With FORGIVENESS bitterness is released.

ACTION!

 

You see GOD called us to be a people whose FAITH would MOTIVATE us to ACTION!

So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  James 2:17-18 (ESV)

 

So, the encouragement for today is clear.

TAKE some action in your faith today.

 

“PICK UP AND READ” that Bible.

“PAUSE AND ENGAGE GOD” in prayer.

“SERVE” someone.

“REPENT”

“FORGIVE”

 

Take some action; ACTIVATE your FAITH!

Remember…

“Faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing” by Martin Luther

 

 

I love you all.

Have a blessed DAY!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

PARTICIPATE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

As God's children, we are not to be observers; we're to participate actively in the Lord's work. Spectators sit and watch, but we are called to use our spiritual gifts and serve continually.

Charles Stanley

 

God has given each of you a gift. Use it to help each other. This will show God’s loving-favor. – 1 Peter 4:10 (NLV)

 

I spend a lot of my time traveling to churches and faith-focused gatherings to ENCOURAGE folks to EXERCISE their GIFTS of service to their community.  In the last 3 years or so I have seen some amazing things BIRTHED in folks and in communities when people PARTICIPATE!

 

I love what Stanley says, we can’t be SPECTATORS!

We ALL as Peter has surmised been given a gift and to sit on it or on the sidelines is to WASTE the amazing IMPACT GOD has and had intended it for!

 

So today little OFH will be a little more concise than usual.

The message is a clear one!

Get off the BENCH as my friend Tim E. just commented on my FACEBOOK post!

 

You have been given some amazing talents and gifts by GOD Himself. 

It would be a shame to let them sit dormant.  In fact, it upsets GOD when we do.

Just check out the story of the talents if you need a refresher.

(Matthew 24)

GOD is looking for YOUR investment today!

Take what HE has given you and put it to WORK!

 

There are countless opportunities all around you. 

We live in an intensely broken time. 

I am confident that as you allow the LORD to speak, as you listen for his promptings and guidance as to where to go and what to do, HE WILL point you in the direction you should GO!!

 

The question is will you heed the call!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFEK4fpYOS4

 

 

 

Love ya all!

Have a blessed DAY!

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE