Thinking about my friends in Teen Challenge, Alpha Ministry, SALT, Grace Church, BSF and Tennessee DOC. While we do life together we need to be on guard against being fake and letting God change us from the inside. Praising God for his work in my life and grateful for all my mentors, employers, pastors and friends. Grateful for Church and enjoying the Chosen season 5 in theaters, shows a wonderful connection of passover and the last supper. The Passover Seder 2020 | Jonathan Cahn explains it well. In my prayer for the Church this year, I want to incorporate the "it would have been enough."
I reflect on Jason, and 40 days this lent season. It's good to also reflect on having permanent fast, like I have with drugs, and smoking. These aren't part of my life anymore, hallelujah.
Quit going into self deception (James 1:19-27)
1. Receive the Word (James 1:19-21), swift to hear (Matt 13:9, Rom 10:17), slow to speak (Prov 10:19,17:27), Slow to wrath (Prov 14:29), and a prepared heart (first, confess your sin and ask the Father to forgive us - 1 John 1:9, then by meditating on God's love and grace and asking Him to "plow up" any hardness in our hearts - Jer 4:3, finally have an attitude of meekness/humble (James 1:21, Matt 5:5 AMP, Mat 5:5 MSG). Humble acceptance doesn't argue with the Word, but honors it as the Word of God - not twisting it to conform to your thinking, but letting it renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2).
and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.” For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.” Jer 4:2-4
God's heart change is required, pride and power must be surrendered. (Jer 4:1-9)
4:3-4) LORD says, "Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Don't waste good seed among thorns, surrender pride, power - change heart before the LORD or bear unquenchable fire of anger for sin.
- Today, God's word is living and active (Heb 4:7,12),Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16).
- The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14
- But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
- I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36:26-27
Hosea 10:12: Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.
Matthew 13:3-9: And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. / And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. / Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. ...
Mark 4:3-9: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. / And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. / Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. ...
Luke 8:5-8: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it. / Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the seedlings withered because they had no moisture. / Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the seedlings. ...
Isaiah 55:6-7: Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
Joel 2:12-13: “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” / So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
Ezekiel 18:30-32: Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall. / Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? / For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!
James 1:21: Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1: Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Hebrews 3:7-8: Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,
Proverbs 28:13: He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
Isaiah 1:16-17: Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! / Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
Matthew 3:8: Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
Luke 3:8: Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham
Lord I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I'm awake, Lord have your way in me. Amen.
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