The devil trying to knock down the children of God and making us miserable is only a benefit of his real goal, to stop the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wants nothing more than for us to throw in the towel, but I'm here to tell you the devil is a defeated foe! Victory was won on the cross over 2000 years ago! So why surrender to an enemy that's already been defeated? Choose victory....choose Jesus. Spread the word....spread the Gospel !!!!

Date Night With God - The Gift - Marcia Hinkeldey

Christmas is one day away. This time of year tends to get busier and busier with parties and gatherings with family and friends.

Let us slow down, take a look at the manger, then at the cross. Take a look, not just a glance at what God has done for you and I.

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” John 15:24.

This Gift was selected before the foundation of the world, before life was breathed into the first man created, and before you and I were even a thought in our parent’s minds.

We put much thought into picking out or making gifts for our loved ones.

How much more God put into this Gift. He knew from before time what He was going to do. He also knew how much this would cost Him … His only begotten Son. He knew how He Himself would grieve over this highest cost. He knew the rejection and agony His precious Son would endure on the cross for you and I. Knowing ALL this, He still chose to give His Son so that you and I may have eternal life.

This is the Gift of Ultimate Love, of Ultimate sacrifice.

The greatest Gift we can receive is this One that’s already been paid for – in FULL … the Gift of Jesus Christ … the Gift of Pure, unselfish Love, of selfless Love.

John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

This Gift of God is alive! The Gift of Christ is the only Gift that will satisfy our soul. We do not need to search in this world any longer. Riches, relationships, drugs, nor alcohol can satisfy our deepest need. Only Jesus can. He can heal our pain from wrongs that have been done to us. And He can heal us from the wrongs we have done to others, and give us the ability to forgive ourselves.

What freedom we can have in Christ alone!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” James 1:17.

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” 1 Peter 4:10.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15.

“For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 5:19-21.

Tonight I close with this scripture as a prayer –

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” Ephesians 1:2-6.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

It Came To Pass

In the bible the phrase " it came to pass" is used numerous times, and we always think it to mean "it so happened" or "as it happened, but let's look at it literally. " It came": it arrived, showed up- "to pass: to go by, across or through. So by literal definition we can say something arrives so that it can go through, making it no longer present, but past. It came to pass, not to stay.
We all face circumstances that we would rather not deal with or that we think we cannot deal with at all. Death, illness, financial problems, religious persecution are just a few, the list is never ending. But remember this, in the physical realm everything at one point or another becomes history. It is the period between it's arrival and it's departure, (the storm), that we question why it has happened. Simply put, it arrived as a challenge presented before you so that through God's love, grace, mercy, peace , joy and understanding you could overcome it and let it officially become archived as history.
The battle was already won at the cross 1 Corinthians 15:57 " But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ", but as much as it pains us, we still have to walk on the battlefield. This is for our benefit, relevant to our spiritual growth. Because we cling to the hope in Glory who is Jesus Christ and rely on Him solely during our trials, we come to a deeper more intimate relationship with Him.

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Power Source (Step Two)

We've all seen these wind turbines spinning throughout the country side that seem so little at a distance but yet so huge as we get closer. It takes an over sized semi truck to carry just one blade to it's destination. These wind turbines are the source of power that are used to power mass numbers of houses and businesses. Windmills have been around since 200 B.C. starting in Persia and today they can produce around 800 to 2000 watts/square meter of power depending on their class level.

We in recovery have tried many different sources of power that have only drained us to a point of pain, suffering, heartache, depression, discouragement, loss, etc. Must I go on? We are more than likely at the point of looking for a new power source. Maybe we can say that "we are sick and tired of being sick and tired." Is there a source that we can tap into that will never fail us? One that will give us the strength we need during this time of recovery and beyond? Well, the answer is YES! The answer is GOD! He is the source and as we learn and study Step Two, "I acknowledge my belief that God, the source of all power, will restore me to sanity and sobriety," Let us tap into the source of power which is only through His Son Jesus.

In John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Without the Son we don't have life but with the Son we have life and He came so that we could have life more abundantly. He came not to condemn us, but to save us from the life of suffering and give us a hope and a future. He never fails us. He is always available when we call on His name. Jesus is the only way to the only true "Power Source (GOD"!) He is the "Ultimate Source of Power" that will give us power from on high to restore us to sanity and sobriety. Are you ready to know how to receive Him and tap into the "Ultimate Power Source?" Click here to understand how to receive Him as Savior.

Step Two - Believing

Okay, you have humbled yourself and admitted that you are powerless to control your life and that it is unmanageable. Now we move on to step two. WE COME TO BELIEVE THAT GOD (THE ONLY HIGHER POWER) EXISTS, AND THAT HE CAN RESTORE US TO SANITY. A.A. and N.A. say "we come to believe a higher power greater than ourselves" God is the only higher power. Now I'm not against A.A. or N.A., for I know several people who have gone through both and are still sober today. It does work, but the people I know also have Jesus as their higher power and Savior, for he is the only Higher Power that exists. He created the universe, he created you and he created me. All one has to do is look around, Romans 1:20 says "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (NIV) The New Living Translation says it boldly, "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." (NLT) There you have it NO EXCUSES! I am giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you do believe in God. But if you do not please stay and read on. I have already prayed for you. I prayed that God would open up your heart to be receptive to these words that He led me to write, for these words are not of my own but what God has given me. Even if you do not believe in Him, He still loves you.

Believing is the beginning of faith, the bible says in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (NKJV) We acknowledged God and His Almighty Power, laying the foundation for what will become a solid structure, a fortress, in which lies our hopes, cares and trust. And although we cannot physically see God, we see His work in all creation, in our lives and in ourselves. He is ever present. Even when we think He is not there, He is. In Joshua 1:5 God says "as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." (NKJV) We have now begun the greatest relationship ever possible, and as we continue to seek God's will, wisdom and truth, that relationship grows deeper and becomes stronger and we will know His love unlike any other love we have experienced!. It is a love that cannot be broken and nothing in the whole universe can separate us from it Paul writes in Romans 8:38-39 38"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NKJV) This is made possible ONLY through the death of His Son Jesus, who 2000 years ago was nailed to the cross so we could once again have a relationship with Him. Colossians 1:20 "And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross." (Amplified Bible)

God can restore us to sanity! Sanity? yes sanity, the opposite of insanity, which by definition means mental illness or deranged. But the unofficial definition quoted by so many is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." We try constantly to change our condition whether it be addiction, anger, feeling inferior to others etc. And although we take different actions each time to battle our condition, the results are always the same....we fail miserably! So by trying to manage our lives on our own without God we become "insane" The bible says in Psalm 49:13 "This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings", and by the way- foolish is another term used in the official definition of insanity. We are born into the fallen state of the natural man (self) through Adam's disobedience (read Genesis chp 3). Romans 5:12 says "Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (NKJV) Therefore we absolutely cannot change our condition, we do not have the ability, God has to do it. That is why He sent His only son Jesus. Romans 5:18 says "Therefore, as through one man’s (Adam) offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s (Jesus) righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life." (NKJV) Through Jesus God restores the relationship He had with man before the fall Romans 5:10 10 "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (NKJV) So what is sanity? You will find it in Romans 5:1-2 1"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God". (NKJV) This my friends is sanity.

Without belief, we cannot move forward. Without belief God cannot help us. He wants to and is heartbroken when our will to chose not to believe prevents Him from doing so. He gave us free will, so it's our choice.
Believe in Him, know that only He can pull you out of the mud and set your feet upon the solid rock which is Jesus. Know that only He can manage your life and restore you to sanity. Know that He wants to help you and have a relationship with you. Most of all Know that no matter what your condition is.... HE LOVES YOU.

Paul was Powerless (step one)

The apostle Paul--before his conversion and transformation, when he was still known as Saul-- could not explore powerlessness. He was intoxicated by the power he could wield, even if it placed him in opposition to God's plan for his life. Yet, God pursued Saul, despite his power-hungry, murderous state of mind, to call him to a new direction, a totally transformed purpose. So that he could stop persecuting the gospel and start preaching it, God made him totally blind and dependent on others to lead, feed and shelter him. He had to except powerlessness and unmanageability in order to be used by God in powerful and amazing ways.

We also must first accept our powerlessness and inability to manage before we can be freed from addiction and become a channel for God in ways we could never imagine.

This is an excerpt from The Life Recovery Workbook by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop

Step One - Admission

Admission is one hard task to fulfill when it's time but God will give you the strength to complete this sometimes painful and difficult step. Step One says, "I ADMIT THAT I AM POWERLESS OVER THE PROBLEM CONTROLLING MY LIFE. MY LIFE HAS BECOME UNMANAGEABLE" And that's just it, admitting out loud and deep within to the God of the universe and your sponsor that I Am Powerless.

Humility and a sense of giving it all up to God after being in control my whole life, is a huge change that many people have done successfully. Without this brokenness we can't move forward. The old adage goes like this, "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always gotten."

Making this decision will bring you closer to breaking the old habits we get so accustom to. It will not only teach us to be humble but to let go of the controlling power that has lead us to broken relationships, wrong decisions, and unwelcome consequences.
In those old controlling problems we usually face cycles of deception which are cycles of behavior that seem normal and comfortable. You may have familiar thoughts like; "that's how I've always responded to this situation and it seemed to buy me some time." We can't use the same reasoning that we've used before like, "I'll stop doing it next week or I'll change when she changes." The bible says in Romans 7:18,19 "I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway."

When we recognize that we are rotten in our flesh and that in order to get through this difficult time in our life, we must "ADMIT WE ARE POWERLESS OVER_____________, AND IT IS CONTROLLING MY LIFE!

Go ahead and read that statement again out loud and place in the blank the biggest thing that controls your life. As you speak and confess you will sense a giving up control. Call your sponsor and admit it to him. Realize that God knows all things and He knew you were going to do that! He will give you power to overcome life's struggles.

You are headed to the path of a "New Life." Believe that God is on your side. His word says that He will never leave you nor forsake you. His plans are to prosper you and to give you hope and a future. He cares for you just as much as he does a newborn babe. His love for you is so deep and wide He sent His only Son to die for you. He also said Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends John 15:13.

Prayer: Father in heaven You are awesome! Thank you for giving me the strength to carry out today. I need you more today than yesterday. My life has become unmanageable and out of control. Please help me through the coming days of change. I want to change and seek Your will and not mine. I am trusting You, Lord.
In Jesus Name I Pray!

The Steps

If you look at the side bar on the left and scroll down a bit, you will notice the 12 Christian Steps to Recovery. Since we are kicking off a new year, I believe it is the perfect time to start discussing the 12 steps so that those of you that have never worked them, will better understand how they work and what God accomplishes through them.
The "Life Recovery Workbook" by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop puts it best: "It is about transformation: from death to life, from addiction to recovery. It is about walking humbly, righteously, and mercifully with God while accepting and doing his will. In our compulsions and addictions, we have opposed God's will by hurting ourselves, our bodies, and our loved ones. We have been separated from God and from other people. The Twelve Steps are a path to finding that humble walk that leads us out of self-centeredness and closer to God's Heart".
We will be looking at each step individually, and the challenge it presents in order to start living a daily life free from from bondage. Each step presents a new challenge in itself, but none were meant to stand alone. All twelve steps are needed to be worked in order, each one preparing us for the next as we develop greater humility and openness to God.
Though the road to recovery can be hard and painful work, it is worth it. God meets us on this path as we become willing to take each step toward a better life. As we go forward we lose are old old ways of coping and our old struggles, and we begin to experience spiritual growth. A new found honesty, humility and courage develops in us, which are parts of our strong faith in God that allows us to face any circumstance, difficulty or feeling with grace and strength.
I would like to say, for those of you wanting to do the twelve steps, I highly suggest finding a recovery/ support group in your area, that works the steps. It is easier than going at it alone. What I mean is although we are never alone with Jesus as Lord of our lives, God uses people in our lives for support, teaching and accountability. In these groups you will meet people who have been, or are going through the same circumstances as you. Together you will share your struggles and triumphs supporting each other, and praying for one another on the journey to recovery, forming new bonds and friendships along the way. Having a sponsor from your group is discipleship, someone who is able to teach you from experience what and what not to do, and who will be there for you during the times when you are struggling. They will teach you in the ways of God and his will. Sounds a lot like an Apostle huh? Well the Apostles were the same way, besides God, they were accountable to each other and responsible for teaching new disciples God's ways, so that they too would some day teach and preach. One day God will use you too!! So find a group and start your Journey to recovery today!
God Bless You All!!

Out with the old, in with the new

The Holidays are over, we celebrated the birth of our Savior and started a brand new year! And among all the busyness, and festivities of the holiday season, I overlooked one of the ministries God put me in charge of.....this blog!! I had a Christmas message, but never took the time to set down and write it. The same goes for Thanksgiving and New Years. I got sidetracked....really, really sidetracked. Then came regret...I can't believe I didn't write about being thankful, or the birth of Jesus, or a fresh start!! How could I have forgotten!! I concentrated more on doing than being, being still that is. Taking time to slow down and listen to what God has to say.
I was still yesterday morning in Church. God spoke. The message was on pressing on and grabbing hold of that for which Christ grabbed a hold of us, and not looking behind but moving toward that which is ahead. The scripture was Philippians 3:12-13 12."Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (NIV)

The "that" which Paul is pressing on to take hold of, and why Jesus has taken hold of us is not one, but several things. It is: 1. A personal relationship with God The Father and with Jesus. 2. The Kingdom of Heaven. 3. Grace and mercy. 4. Righteousness in Christ. In other words, perfection in Christ. Yes Paul has these things already, what he means when he says "not that I have obtained all this" is that he hasn't the fullness or completeness of it yet, as you see he goes on to say "or have already been made perfect" This is why he "presses on" so he can deepen his relationship with God and have more and more grace, mercy, and righteousness through Christ. Paul knew if he ever thought that he obtained it all, he would stop pressing on. He didn't want to be content with his current level of spirituality, so he continually strived for perfection in Christ and we should be striving for this too, but all to often our past gets in the way.

Our past, the thing that likes to come back and haunt us and holds us down, keeping from moving forward. You know, past life (our old self/sin nature), past mistakes, past regrets, etc. But did you know that good things from our past can also hold us back too. Paul never specifies about the past in verse 13, whether it's good or bad, he simply states " forgetting what is behind". Let's look at it. Once again Paul is assuring his us that he hasn't attained all of this, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it." Then he let's us know what he does to aide in fulfilling his desire, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Paul knows he can't look back and continue to move forward, because if does he will get off track. So he has to either stay put, or move toward what is ahead. As I said before it is not only the bad stuff in our past that can hold us back, but good things too. With all the bad things we dwell on it is nice to be able to concentrate on something wonderful in our lives. But if we dwell in the good places too long we become content, which after awhile brings about a fear of change, not wanting to move from our comfort zone. Then it has become an idol. This is why Paul doesn't specify bad past or good past, because any part of our past can become a hindrance.

So what about forgetting, does this mean we try to completely shut out or block certain memories so we can move forward? Of course not, 1. It's impossible, unless you get amnesia. Memories are stored away in our subconscious mind and though we don't always remember certain things, they are still there. 2. We need to use our past experiences to minister to others who are going through the same experience, which also keeps us humble. Finally so we can continually thank God for his abundant grace and mercy, and the many blessings and gifts he has given us, the greatest being Jesus! This too, keeps us humble. What Paul meant by forgetting is not to keep recalling the past, or dwelling on it, because that's when it becomes an obstacle. Especially if it consumes us to the point where that's all you think about. Been there, done that! We need to get past the past, Let go and Let God!! Out with the old, in with the new.
Paul's striving was not self-effort, but a passion and desire put in him by the Holy Spirit, which drove him to not be content or satisfied with a certain level of spiritual growth. And it was by yielding to the Holy Spirit that he was able to forget what was behind and strain toward what was ahead. We must daily get on our knees and get into the word, continually seeking His face, His wisdom, and His will for our lives

Pray: Father I relinquish my will into your hands today, so that I may live this day according to your will. And I ask you to show me anything in my past that I'm not letting go of so that through you, I can work on releasing myself from it and move forward. I pray you continue to put on my heart, changes that need to be made in my life, and my character so that I may better serve you Lord. I humbly ask this in Jesus name Amen

In closing I would just like to say, I am no longer dwelling on the fact that I dropped the ball on the blog ministry, and now with that monkey off my back I can move on ahead with new posts. 2010 I welcome you. Thank You Jesus!!

Trust

Trust is a hard action to follow through with in life especially when we have been served so many disloyal heaping spoonfuls from people we love. It doesn't matter who we are expected to trust, it's just hard. Why do we need to trust anyone? Should we trust anyone other than our Lord? Well, we seem to trust the driver while going shopping or to corner store. We trust the on coming traffic on a 2-way road that they won't steer into our lane and hit us head on. We sometimes trust our government and vote them in to office. We trust our spouse, children and co-workers. We trust drugs, pills, alcohol, our feelings. The old saying, "If I can only get this everything would be okay". Sure there is a multitude of trusting going on in life in general, but who or what do we trust with our life?

The word "Trust" occurs 125 times in the NKJV of the Bible from Deuteronomy to Hebrews. Many of the scriptures pose questions about who do you put your trust? Through many circumstances of life we trust without realizing who we trust in. Even when we think we have confidence in someone to bail us out or that they will keep a secret or even our closest friend they can fail us. The definition for the word "Trust" used as a verb is to have trust or confidence in; rely or depend on, hope, to believe. This is a major decision to make when it involves our eternity. Can we trust tomorrow? Can we trust what someone says? Can we afford to put our trust in a substance or a feeling of security?

As we go through different circumstances in life we sometimes hit a brick wall and are forced to face the reality that we need to put our Trust in the Lord and in Him alone. It may be in the form of a jail sentence, a probation term, a marital breakup, loss of a loved one or losing our job of 20 years but if we will only Trust in the Lord in all circumstances He will carry us through any situation. He is only trying to mold us and shape us they He wants. He will give us strength and a new vision. The bible says that He is the Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. The Wise Counselor. The Redeemer. Our Fortress and Strong Tower. It's interesting how that the very center of the bible is Psalm 118:8, "It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man."

Are you Trusting Him today with your life? Do you want to Trust Him today? Pray this prayer:
Dear Lord. I've failed you so many times. You've called me time after time and I have ignored You. I'm tired and weary. I can't find rest anywhere. I am desperate for You now, Lord Jesus. I have tried everything else and nothing has filled that emptiness inside. I Need You now, Lord Jesus! Your word says that if I confess Jesus Christ with my mouth and believe in my heart the God raised Him from the dead then I will be saved. I confess today Jesus Christ as my Lord! I believe that God, you raised him up to life. I receive You now Lord Jesus! Please forgive me from all my sin. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Help me to follow You and totally Trust in You in every circumstance.

Please let someone know that you received Him today. Email us at tgif@nbfbc.org

Being set free

It's hard to fathom what it really means to be set free. The question is often posed; "Am I set free from my sin?" Can a person really be set free from their addictions? Having a set free life means to be set free from ourselves. The first key issue is usually ourselves. The mind is where the true battle is and without the New Life in Christ we are still living the old.

We wake up in the morning and thoughts start going through our mind. We may think "I need to get this done or what about that problem or how can I get my fix today." We must realize that unless we work at changing our behavior and not following after the same or similar emotions, we are running around in circles. The bible says in Prov 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths". We need to pray, "Lord what shall I do today?" or "How should I deal with this issue or addiction I am facing?" He will answer you and direct you to people and places where you can receive His instruction. We get in the way to often by listening to ourselves. God's will is different than ours.

I love the way Oswald Chambers speaks about our natural life, "God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life." He may speak to us at home reading the Bible, online devotions, sermons at church, at recovery, at prayer meetings. We must make that decision to change the unhealthy habits that seem so normal. The old saying is true "If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always gotten." Make a decision today to follow God's way. It will be tough but the rewards will be great here on earth and in heaven.

Prayer: Father in heaven, I need you today to set me free. I can't find freedom in the same way I've always tried. I have failed and need redemption through Your Son, Jesus. Please forgive me and as I acknowledge you in all my ways, please direct my path. Give me the strength I need to face the issues, struggles and addictions. Give me the power to change my behaviors and learn how to hear You and to live the New Life in Christ.

Share...Share....Share

Hello Beloved in Christ.
It has been a while since I have posted anything. I took some time off to seek God for direction in my life.
I write today to encourage you to share. I have a tracking system on this site that let's me know about the page's web traffic, and visitor stats such as city, state, country and internet provider (don't worry it doesn't give me names and addresses). So I can keep track of all the visits. I am amazed at all the hits I have had in the 7 weeks that this site has been around, and I know it is God bringing the visitors in. He get's all the credit! So now I know you are visiting I dare you to share!

God uses us to minister. He works through us to reach the lost, brokenhearted and those in need of comfort. And he wants to use you! So today I encourage you to share. It could be your testimony, a bible verse, a poem or just words of wisdom God has given you, whatever it is pass it along, you never know who you just might help.

Choose any of the posts and click on comment. Then post whatever is on your heart and tell me you would like to share it. I will copy and paste it to the blog post so everyone can see it . You will get credit for the post, unless you want to remain anonymous, which is fine. You can also send your posts to the following email: setfreeministries@hotmail.com. Once again I ask you to reach out to someone in need and minister.
Thank You
Your Brother in Christ
John

What's wrong with me? Why can't I stop!!

What's wrong with you? Nothing. You're human. You are going to sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23" for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(NKJV) It's a constant, if not daily, battle to live a Christian life. The Bible says in Galatians 5:17 " For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."(NKJV) The New Living Translation explains it in more detail, "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions." Even a great man of God, the Apostle Paul, struggled with it. Paul writes in Romans 7:19 "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." (NIV). Of course, this does not mean it is okay to sin, just that it is nearly impossible not to,(notice I said nearly impossible, for it says in Matt. 10:27 " for with God all things are possible."), but God's ever abundant grace and mercy is upon us and He forgives us. Jesus paid our debt on the cross over 2000 years ago, and it is by His blood that we are forgiven.

So, how can you at least keep your sin nature under submission? Paul writes in Galatians 5:16 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (NKJV), or as the NLT puts it, "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves." The key word in the First version is fulfill. It doesn't say you are not going to think about sin, but by walking in the Spirit you won't carry it out. By being in tune with the Holy Spirit you are guarded against taking action on your natural man's thoughts. You will not want to fulfill them, because you know it is wrong and against God's will for your life. The Holy Spirit is light and your sin nature is darkness, it is impossible for the two mix. Light always chases away darkness.

Walking in the Spirit, as said before, simply means letting the Holy Spirit guide your life, so it lines up with God's will. But with the distraction's that come with day to day life you might find it a bit challenging to maintain your walk continually. Therefore picture a miniature satellite dish inside your head that can only be tuned into the God Channel. Start off your day with prayer and bible reading, then throughout the day repeat a scripture that really ministers to you, or a play a praise song in your head, or simply talk to God. Doing these things moves the Holy Spirit that dwells within you and God communicates with us through His Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:14-16). So now the Spirit ministers to your heart, making it simpler to yield to what is right and to deny temptation. As your relationship with Jesus grows deeper, you will become less and less wanting of the "old things". Will there still be battles? Yes. Will there still be struggles? Yes. But remember: 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me

What do I do now?

What to do, what to do. Hmmm? You have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and are set free from your addiction or struggle, so you don't have that ball and chain to drag around anymore and you are wondering what do you do now since you have a little extra (or maybe a lot of extra) of time on your hands.
Here are some tips:

1.Read your Bible everyday, get into the word.God reveals Himself and speaks to you through His word. Also it is an instruction guide on living the Christian life.

2.Pray. Daily prayer is communication and fellowship with God. It's not just about asking for things, although that is ok, because God wants us to come to Him for our needs.Talk To God as you would a friend or family member. Pray for yourself; family; friends or your church, if you belong to one. Prayer along with Bible reading deepens your relationship with Christ, making it more intimate.


3.Join a Church. The Bible says we are the Body of Christ, and you are part of that body, Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:27. So become a part of a body of believers. Find a church that meets your spiritual needs or do what I did, pray and ask God to put you in the church he would have you belong to, either way is fine. Fellowshiping; worshiping and hearing the word of God together with other believers is an awesome experience and is a vital part of spiritual growth.
Prayer,
4.Join a Christian recovery or support group. Faith based recovery and support groups, whether 12 step or other format, are excellent sources in your journey to recovery.They offer help, hope and healing through the Lord Jesus. You will be with others who are going through or have gone through the same struggles and or addictions that you are. You will be able to discuss your problems with support and prayer from others, or you could give a testimony, and probably help someone else along the way. All in the name of Jesus.

I hope this helped you out. I strongly recommend 1-3, I believe God does too. Number 4 ....well it helped me greatly, so I recommend it also

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV)

Some days we don't feel so glad and we definitely don't feel like rejoicing. Days filled with problems, heartaches and just plain all around yuck! And to some one coming out of drug and alcohol addiction days like these make maintaining sobriety all the more difficult. You start wanting to resort to the old ways of coping, believe me I've been there. Oh I still have cruddy days that are never over soon enough, but what we have to realize is the bad days, just like the good days, are created by and belong to God.

Just because we're having a horrible day doesn't mean we have to wallow in it. Remember Jesus still reigns on His throne. He is still the Prince of Peace, The Great Comforter, Wonderful Counselor, King of Kings and Lord of our lives, and forever will be! You can muster up enough strength to give a shout out to Jesus. Forget about yourself and your circumstances for a minute, because it's all about Him, not us, and thank Him for the day. Say, Lord thank you for this day which you have made, because it's another day I'm alive, another day I'm sober, another day I have with you in my Life. Soon your day won't seem as bad. I'm not saying stuff will stop happening, but now His Holy Spirit is Stirred up in you and has become a shield for all the bullets, arrows and fiery darts that are coming at you.

So remember this is the day that the Lord has made rejoice! and be glad in it, you will be happy that you did.

2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (NKJV)

Now with our face uncovered (Moses wore a veil over his face when he came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, because God's Glory reflected off his face and shone so bright the the Israelites were afraid to look upon it. Exodus 34: 28-29), as if looking in a mirror, we reflect the Glory of God. And as the Holy Spirit works Within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His Glory even more!
Simply put; the more we grow in the Lord, the more we glow like the Lord!