NWO
Paranoia In Reverse
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. —1 John 4:18
Feeding your faith helps starve your fears.
http://odb.org/2014/07/11/paranoia-in-reverse/#
Plugged In
He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. —Isaiah 40:29
When we find ourselves weary and distressed, we need to plug into the true Source of strength and life.
We are more than conquerors
Through Him who loved us so;
The Christ who dwells within us
Is the greatest power we know. —Carmichael
The Creator of the universe knows no power failure.
http://odb.org/2012/08/16/plugged-in/
Faulty Thinking
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8
Some people have an assurance of salvation based on faulty thinking. They believe that church attendance, baptism, or just being good will gain them approval from God. But our thinking is faulty if it isn’t based on what God says in His Word. God says that “all have sinned” and that we are His enemies. But through the death and resurrection of His Son, we can be made right with God (Rom. 3:23; 5:8-10). By faith in what Christ has done, we can have peace with God (5:1) and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.
Do you believe it? Your eternity is at stake. Don’t trust faulty thinking but put your faith in Christ.
I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus—
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free. —Havergal
If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.
http://odb.org/2012/05/31/faulty-thinking/
Not At This Time We can’t renew our minds by ourselves (Rom. 12:2); it’s th...
Not At This Time
We can’t renew our minds by ourselves (Rom. 12:2); it’s the transforming work of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Yet speaking the truth in our thoughts can help us to submit to the Spirit’s work within. —Anne Cetas
For Further Thought
What are some areas you struggle with in your heart?
Ask God to renew your mind that it might think like His.
Then keep reminding yourself of the truth.
The Spirit of God renews our minds when we review the Word of God.
Bribery Take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning. —Exodus 23:8 Not ...
Bribery
Take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning. —Exodus 23:8
Not all bribery is overt; some is more subtle. And not all bribes are financial. Flattery is a type of bribe that uses words as currency. If we give people preferential treatment for saying something nice about us, it’s similar to taking a bribe. To God, any kind of partiality is an injustice. He even made justice a condition of remaining in the Promised Land. The Israelites were not to pervert justice or show partiality (Deut. 16:19-20).
Bribery deprives others of justice, which is an offense against the character of God, who is “God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe” (10:17).
Thankfully, the Lord treats all of us alike, and He wants us to treat each other the same way. —Julie Ackerman Link
It matters not what race or gender,
Rich or poor or great or small,
The God who made us is not partial;
He sent Christ to die for all. —D. De Haan
The Pleasure Is Mine I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure . . . All...
The Pleasure Is Mine
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure . . . All was vanity and grasping for the wind. —Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
The desire for pleasure isn’t wrong. God has built us for it. Paul reminds us that God “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). Other passages welcome us to the healthy pleasure of food, friends, and the intimacy of a marriage relationship. But thinking that we can find lasting pleasure in people and things is ultimately an empty pursuit.
Ultimate pleasure is not found in the short-lived thrills our world offers, but rather in the long-term joy from a deepening intimacy with our Lord. King Solomon learned this the hard way. “I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,” he admitted (Eccl. 2:10). But after his pleasure-seeking spree, he concluded: “All was vanity and grasping for the wind” (v.11). It’s no wonder he warned, “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man” (Prov. 21:17).
What we are really looking for is satisfied only in a fulfilling and growing relationship with Jesus. Pursue Him and taste His delights! —Joe Stowell
Fault Line The shifting morals of our present world can be confusing. We ma...
Fault Line
The shifting morals of our present world can be confusing. We may be tempted to let culture or the opinions of society be the foundation for the decisions we make. But obeying the unwavering truth of God’s Word brings stability unavailable anywhere else. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (v.24). —Dennis Fisher
The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands. —Lillenas