You Must Choose Wisely!

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." -Psalm 1:1-2

These two verses have a very deep meaning! Not only do they tell us of the blessing that we will receive when we obey God, but they also give us such a strong warning that a big CAUTION sign should be attached. They warn us to be careful of the friends that we choose.

Our friends and associates can have huge influences on us, even without us realizing it. As parents we teach our children to choose their friends wisely, yet we often don't practice what we preach. When we have relationships with those who mock what God considers important, we may be sinning by being indifferent to God's will, in turn we are no different than them and are mocking God as well. We must stand up for what God considers holy and righteous!

Many times we have people in our lives that we love, such as family who also can drag us down and away from God. These types of relationships can be especially difficult because they are family and we love them. However, they too can have a huge influence on our lives and not always for the better. Like our children we must choose our relationships wisely, even when they are family.
 
The question is.. Do your relationships, friends and family, build up your faith, or do they tear it down?

Healthy relationships should draw you closer to God, not hinder your relationship with God.

Pray and ask God to show you which relationships in your life are dragging you down and hindering your growth with God. Ask Him to show you which of those relationships should maybe come to an end. BE CAREFUL NOT to end a relationship out of anger or revenge. MAKE SURE that your motives are pure and that if you do end a relationship that it is only because they do not lift you up but instead drag you down.

Close your eyes.... Picture yourself standing on a chair with someone standing on the floor next to your chair. Reach down to them and grasp their hand. Now try and lift them up to you. It is very hard to do so.
 Now, picture yourself holding their hand and them pulling on you. It is very easy for them to drag you down and off of the chair. Try it if you like.

This is how relationships can effect us. It is much harder to pull someone up towards a healthy relationship with God, and so much more easier for them to drag us down into an unhealthy relationship with them and away from God!

Father, I pray that you will show each of us the relationships in our lives that do not lift us up, but instead pull us down. It is so very difficult for us to end relationships. Father, You see our every hurt, You hold our every tear in your hand. You know how hard it is for us to find good, healthy, uplifting  relationships. Help us to remove the unhealthy relationships from our lives with pure motives.  I ask Lord, that You will replace our bad relationships with godly relationships that hold us accountable to Your word and lift us up to You.
In Jesus name. Amen
Christian

Are you rejecting man or God?

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified (sanctified means to be set apart from the rest): that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit." -1Thessalonians 4:3-8

Our world today is so free lance. We are told that we have to accept each others sins as normal. Our children are being taught in schools that they have to be tolerant with the evil in this world. We have become desensitized to what is truly right and wrong. We treat our bodies as though they are just things. We don't respect them to be what God made them to be. We don't even know the meaning of the term Sexual Immorality. Self control is no longer taught or practiced. We live in a "If it feels good do it," and "Sex is just sex no matter who it is with," kind of world.

When we don't live a life that is holy and pleasing to God, we aren't hurting anyone but our selves. God promises that He will punish All men who live such lives.
When we refuse to open up our hearts and allow God to change our life styles. When people speak the word of God to us and try to point us in the right direction. God uses people to get our attentions. To show us the path that we should be walking. Far too
often we brush off their words or get angry with them for thumping us over the head with "their religion." When we refuse to hear the word of God, we aren't refusing man but God Himself!

Father, I pray for us today. I pray that You will open up our hearts and minds to the truth. We have become blinded to the sins and evil that our world calls normal and acceptable. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks Yours! Help us to stand up and stand firm in Your word and Truth. I pray that You will show us all the areas in each of our lives where we need to let You in and let You make changes in us. We know Lord that You never break a promise. You are always faithful and just. We know that You promise that You will Punish us if we continue to live sinful lives. Father, help us to live lives that are holy and pure, pleasing to You. In Jesus name, Amen
Christian

WHY?

" The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires."  
 -Romans 13:12-14 The Life Recovery Bible NLT


Over the last few months, I have asked myself the question WHY? Why does it matter that I deal with the past? Why do I need healing when I am just fine? Why do I need to confess my sins when God already knows? Why me? Why?
           Christ's return is almost here and I have to be ready. These verses tell me to "remove  your dark deeds like dirty clothes." and "Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ." We were made in the image of Christ and like us, He can't stand to be in the presence of someone who refuses to walk in the light. We know how it feels when we are around people who speak constant profanity, or someone who's sins are so evident you can almost smell it on them. Christ need us to be clean, washed and covered with him so that He too can take pleasure in us.

       Father, I ask that you remind us who we are in You. That although our sins stink and stick out like a sore thumb to us, You see them as white as snow through the blood of Jesus. Open our eyes, show us how you see us. Convince us of who we really are in You. Father I pray this for all who reads this. Clean us Lord, so that You will find pleasure in us.
In Jesus name. Amen
Christian