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Filed under: Discipleship | Tagged: confidence, Discipleship | Leave a comment »
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Filed under: Discipleship | Tagged: confidence, Discipleship | Leave a comment »
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”Romans 15:13
When we come to Christ and His Holy Spirit takes residence in us, true joy is one of the many gifts we receive. This joy is produced as a result of trusting in God who is the Source of all joy. It is often easy to express this joy when things are going well, but there is nothing particularly “Christian” about that since most anyone expresses joy in comfortable circumstances. Something extraordinary about the Apostle Paul, however, is how unbelievably strong his joy was when things weren’t going so well. In 2 Corinthians 7:4 he said, “I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.” Say what?! What an amazing reflection of Jesus our attitude can have, especially in the face of adversity.
The enemy, however, will do anything in his power to steal our joy! From the moment your feet touch the floor in the morning, he will do all he can to distract you, overwhelm you, and frustrate you. He will take advantage of any difficulty in our day to cause worry, doubt, and to steal our joy. After all, stealing things is what he does best! John 10:10 says that the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy the abundant life God has for us. Don’t let him! We have a choice of what voice we will listen to and who we will believe. God has given us power through His Holy Spirit to live free of bondage and live a rich and satisfying life. God is our source of joy, and he gives us the assurance that, no matter what, he is with us. Trust in God, believe His word, resist the devil, and choose joy in all circumstances.
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I start this post with a confession: I’m writing it because I’ve spent considerable amounts of time in prayer recently as God stretches my faith through some unexpected circumstances. I’m still learning (even after being a believer for more than 48 years) to trust God today. That’s why I’ve been reviewing not only how God has stretched me, but also how He has always come through.
Finish at: https://chucklawless.com/2022/07/8-things-that-stretched-my-faith-over-the-years/
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To better understand how the Bible applies to us, we should consider how it applied to its first readers. Today, R.C. Sproul invites us to enter into the rich and vibrant drama of God’s Word.
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“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”Isaiah 26:3
Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:
Finding peace of mind has been a struggle since Bible times, but today’s verse is just as true for us today as it was then. When we keep our minds on Christ, He helps us let go of the past, forgive where necessary, trust Him and persevere when things get hard, and believe that all things are possible in Him. He is the only true Source of peace.
Suggested prayer: Dear God, at times I let my mind wander from you and start focusing on things that are out of my control instead of focusing on the One who is IN control of it all. I want the perfect peace that comes from trusting in You. Help me keep my thoughts on you and be an example of Your peace to others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Daily Encounter devotional
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Everything that Christians need to be faithful and fruitful in this life is found in Jesus Himself. Today, Sinclair Ferguson studies what Christ teaches about the vital importance of our spiritual union with Him.
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“The Christian is not superficial in any sense, but is fundamentally serious and fundamentally happy. You see, the joy of the Christian is a holy joy, the happiness of the Christian is a serious happiness. … it is a solemn joy, it is a holy joy, it is a serious happiness; so that, though he is grave and sober-minded and serious, he is never cold and prohibitive.” |
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