Ever since my first child was born, I have struggled with what it means to have true Sabbath rest. Before kids, my husband and I would reserve one day a week for extra time in the word and prayer, extra time with each other, extra sleep, and rest from our work.
Then along came our daughter and suddenly I had a new job that came with 7 twenty-four hour shifts each week. It has been and continues to be a learning process to figure out how to find time to truly rest, as well as to fulfill all my responsibilities as a mother that don’t have the option of being put on hold. Here are a few ideas that we’ve come up with in our family for keeping a Sabbath day restful and truly refreshing. It would be great to hear your ideas too! In our schedule, Saturday is generally…
Find more joy in actually doing God’s will than you do in having a good appearance before men, winning arguments, and appearing righteous on the outside… Then you will be on your way to a fruitful life with maximum rewards in heaven.
John 7:17
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Many people all over the world have suffered from religious abuse, so ministering with sensitivity to people that may have been hurt in the past is necessary. However, abuse of a certain scripture does not mean we get to erase those scriptures out of the Bible or neuter and spay them for our own comfort and convenience.
It’s better to put down our pride, ask God to heal our hurts, get in fasting and prayer, and get an honest Holy Spirit understanding of what God says in His Word.
“I love this “make a bunch of money off of iniquity and nobody can say anything about it because you are Christian” Matthew 18 copout theology.
Since they can only contact me personally before they say anything, all I have to do is ignore them and keep the money rolling in. It’s a perfect environment for me to get rich off compromise and still make it seem like I’m serving God. Perfect atmosphere for me to let other wolves in sheeps clothing into the flock. I hate these troublemakers always preaching the truth boldly, they cramp my style.” – says the false prophet and deceiver of the last days in Matthew 24.
Matthew 18 is not a copout. Hirelings flee when the wolf comes to eat the flock (John 10).
People that care for the Body speak the Word and rebuke with all authority they don’t play political games while young believers are having stumbling blocks cast into their path.
Your gift may come easy to you, but your work will not. When you find a higher vision for what you are doing, that’s when you’ll be doing it right. Press for the highest mark. Philippians 3.
When you live off the revelation of others, it doesn’t take too long for that revelation to go dark. Get your own oil for your own lamp! Buy it by spending time with God and in His Word. Matthew 25.
Just as its important to verbally confess Gods promises that he has given you to develop faith and confidence, it’s equally important to VERBALLY CONFESS what God has NOT GIVEN YOU to maintain humility, defeat idolatry and adultery and spiritual adultery.
For example:
“I do not deserve any form of sexual pleasure from my neighbors wife or any unmarried woman.”
“I do not get accepted by the worlds sinful system because I am in Christ and I testify that their works are evil.”
Real, simple, verbal confessions of humility can make you immune to the pride and iniquity that tries to make you think you deserve everything you “can” acquire because of your talent or beauty or height or power.
It takes humility to tell yourself the things you cannot have, whether sexually or financially or spiritually.
Gods Wisdom in Solomon on DIVISION:
In conflicts, you’ll find that the one who is willing to “split the baby in half” is the one who is the thief, and the true cause of the confusion and conflict and division.
True Humility:
If you are 90% right and 10% wrong, you should be able to correct the 10% of yourself that is wrong. Because you fear the Lord, and you are more concerned with pleasing Him than winning an argument and manipulating the eyes of men.
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