1 Peter 2:11 NLT “Dear
friends, I warn you as “temporary
residents and foreigners” to keep
away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls."
The enemy wages war against our very soul the scripture
says, our immortality.
Detox-removal
of toxic substances from a living organism.
1.
The root of most sins we commit
outwardly is the false beliefs we embrace inwardly.
1.
In order to experience a life of
purity with a clean heart, we must identify and reject the toxic thoughts that
keep us from God’s
best.
2 Peter 2:19-22 NLT [19] They promise freedom, but they
themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever
controls you. [20] And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by
knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved
by sin again, they are worse off than before. [21] It would be better if they
had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the
command they were given to live a holy life. [22] They prove the truth of this
proverb: "A dog returns to its vomit." And another says, "A
washed pig returns to the mud."
2.
If you think negative and toxic
thoughts, or return to negative and toxic thoughts you’ll become a negative and sick person.
1.
Your soul will stagnate and wither.
3.
If you think God’s truth in your mind, your will and
your emotions, you’ll
become “like Christ."
John 17:17 NLT "Make them holy by Your truth; teach
them Your word, which is truth."
4.
Your soul will produce life and
inspiration.
5.
If you’re not trying to convert the negative
into positive truth, if you’re
not willing to focus on God’s
absolutes instead embracing your own mental chatter, then you’ll only drift farther away from what
you desire most.
6.
Sadly, many of us refuse to push
through the clutter and clamor of negative thinking and false beliefs that
bombard us.
1.
“I’m no
good. I’ll
always fail. I’ll
never amount to anything.”
2.
“My life doesn’t matter. No one really cares about
me. If I disappeared, no one would notice, much less care.”
3.
“No matter how
hard I try, I’ll
never make a difference. It seems like I mess up everything I do.”
4.
“God could never
love me. After all I’ve
done, why would God care about me? I’m
worthless.”
5.
“My life stinks.
And it’s
only going to get worse. I’ll
never get a break. There’s
no way I can change the way I am.”
6.
“I have to take
care of myself. No one else, especially God, comes through for me. I better
grab whatever I can whenever I get the chance.”
7.
Any one of these thoughts can be
deadly, and collectively they can imprison us in a hellish well of toxic waste.
2.
If there’s anything you think that God would
find unholy and displeasing, flag it.
1.
Then whatever you do don't go back to
it.
Illustrate here: use papers to
flag the negative and destructive.
2.
Negative, fearful, discontented,
critical thoughts should not be allowed or tolerated.
3.
Instinctively we’ll recognize poisonous thoughts and
reject them before they stain, pollute, and destroy our souls.
1.
Instead we’ll think things that are true, noble,
right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.
4.
You will always find what you are
looking for.
1.
Think about the difference between
two birds: a vulture and a hummingbird.
1.
Vultures soar high in the sky,
looking and searching.
1.
What does a vulture find?
2.
Dead things.
3.
This ugly oversized bird doesn’t stop until he finds lifeless,
rotting road kill.
2.
Contrast the vulture to the tiny
hummingbird.
1.
With wings flapping twenty beats a
second, what does this small bird find?
2.
Not dead things and disgusting rancid
meat, but instead, sweet, life-giving nectar.
3.
The same is true for you.
1.
You can be on a road-kill diet or you
can find nectar in each day.
2.
It’s up to you, because you will find
what you search for.
4.
If you want to find things to be negative about or to worry about, it is
not hard to do.
1.
If you plan to be critical, you don’t have to look far to find fault.
2.
If you choose to be negative, you’ll easily accomplish your goal.
3.
But if you want to see the good in
life, you can find it everywhere.
1.
If you choose to watch for places God
is working, you’ll
see His loving presence each and every place you look.
2.
If you decide to look for hope,
faith, and a better future, you will discover these positive things and more
countless times a day.
3.
Decide the destination of your mind.
1.
Any time your mind drifts toward
dangerous thoughts, stop.
2.
Grab those runaway thoughts.
3.
Please don’t limit what I’m saying to self-affirmations and
positive thinking.
1.
I’m not saying you shape your life with
good thoughts.
2.
I’m saying you shape it with God
thoughts.
1.
Remove anything that is not from God.
2.
Align your thoughts with His Word.
1.
Remember to fix your thoughts upon
Him.
3.
Ask God to identify and help remove
the life-draining ideas and images from your mind.
1.
Fill your thoughts with His truth,
renew your mind and watch your faith grow in ways that will astound you.
2.
Many many times we feel think and
believe that when good things are happening God is available, God is on task,
God is helping and encouraging us.
3.
But when hard times surface,
difficult times engage us, and impossibilities surround us He is absent, He is
unaware, He doesn't care, or He is MIA.
1.
None of these statements are true.
4.
I believe as we attend hard times,
navigate through difficulty, and operate through the impossible God is an ever
present help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1-3 NLT
[1] "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help
in times of trouble. [2] So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the
mountains crumble into the sea. [3] Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the
mountains tremble as the waters surge!" Selah
1.
Selah meant several things:always, a
change in rhythm or melody, or a change in thought and theme, finally to
measure carefully and reflect upon the preceding statements.
2.
Interlude-I believe that Selah was an
intervening praise break!
4.
Vs 3 swelling-roaring-foaming-represents
the pride and haughtiness of arrogant enemies.
1.
Let the enemy swell up in my face,
let him talk trash, make threats, He doesn't scare God, He is incapable of
putting fear into the heart of our great, mighty and fearless God.
2.
The word encourages us to hope and
trust in God, in His power, His providence, His gracious presence with His
church in the worst of times, and directs us to give Him the honor of what He
has done for us and what He will do.
3.
We are taught to take comfort in God
when things look bleak, threatening, and full of despair.
4.
God is our refuge and strength; we
have found Him so, He has engaged to be so, and He ever will be so.
1.
Are we pursued?
1.
God is our refuge to whom we may
flee, and in whom we may be safe and secure from all alarm.
Proverbs 18:10
NLT "The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly
run to Him and are safe."
2.
Are we oppressed by troubles?
1.
Have we work to complete and enemies
to battle and contend with?
2.
God is our strength, to support us up
under our burdens, to fit us for all our services and sufferings; He will by His
favor put strength into us, and on Him we may sturdy ourselves.
3.
Are you in distress?
1.
He is a help, to do all that for us
which we need, a help found (so the word is), a tried help or, a help at hand,
one that never is to seek for, but that is always near.
2.
God is a sufficient help,
accommodating to every case and urgency; He is a very present help; we cannot
desire a better help, nor will ever find.
4.
Do you find yourself in the greatest
of dangers?
1.
He is an all-sufficient God to us;
therefore we fear not the power of hell, earth, mankind, nor the grave.
2.
If God be for us, who can be against
us; to do us any harm?
4.
It is our duty, it is our privilege,
to be thus fearless; it is an evidence of a clear conscience, of an honest
heart, and of a lively faith in God, His providence and promise:
1.
Let us suppose the earth to be
removed, and thrown into the sea, even the mountains, the strongest and firmest
parts of the earth, to lie buried in the unfathomed ocean; let us suppose the
sea to roar and rage, making dreadful noises, and its foaming waves insulting
the shore with so much violence as even to shake the mountains.
2.
Though kingdoms and nations be in
confusion, embroiled in wars, tossed with disorder, and their governments in
continual revolution-though their powers combine against the church and people
of God, aim at no less than their ruin, and go very near to gain their
point-yet will not we fear, knowing that all these troubles will end well for
the church.
1.
Note, the spiritual comforts which
are conveyed to every believer by soft and silent whispers, are sufficient to
counterbalance the most loud and noisy threatenings of an angry and malicious
world.
1.
Though heaven and earth are shaken,
yet God is in the midst of His people, and shall not be moved.
2.
God's eye is upon it and His heart is
in it, the church.
1.
Though the earth be removed,
destroyed and in ruins the church will stand for eternity.
1.
It is built upon a rock, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
1.
If God be for us, if God be with us,
we need not be moved at the most violent attempts made against us.
2.
He will help us in our troubles, that
Christianity will not be destroyed; that the more it's afflicted the more it'll
multiply.
3.
This may also be applied
individually; if God be in our hearts, in the midst of us, by His word dwelling
richly in us, we shall be established, we shall be helped; let us therefore
trust and not be afraid; all is well, and will end well.
1.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Illustrate here: video of it is well
This hymn was written after traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of
their only son from Scarlet Fever in 1870. Second was the 1871 Great Chicago
Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had
invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was decimated
by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic
downturn of 1873 at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his
family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family
ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the
Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a
collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's
daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram,
"Saved alone …". Shortly
afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to
write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
Ville du Havre,
(veel dew avr) from the name of the stricken vessel.
"Town of Haven" as in peaceful or refuge. There's
actually a main city in the North of France called "Le Havre."
The Spaffords later had three more children. In 1881, the
Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set sail for Israel. The
Spaffords moved to Jerusalem and helped found a group called the American
Colony; its mission was to serve the poor.
Help is given to anyone in need, regardless of race,
religion or cultural background. The Center is unusual, in having staff of
different faiths working together for a common cause – the
benefit of deprived and sick children.
• Detox
your faith, your words, your friends, your finance, your relationships, detox
your mind, your will, your emotions and you will detox your soul.
• Work
the process then allow the process to work.
• If
everything else we're stripped away what will you stand on?
Horatio Spafford penned these words:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let
this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—oh, the bliss of
this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for
in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis
for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The
clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even
so, it is well with my soul.
Join us in the month of September for a series entitled The Creed
No comments:
Post a Comment