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Posts Tagged ‘pretending’

Your Year For Deliverance

Posted in God's Gift, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

A troubled spirit combined with a fragile heart keeps the soul in a state of weariness. You might pretend that everything is alright but you can never be delivered from this type of bondage by pretending.

As a work in progress, I continually pray the same prayer that David prayed in Psalms 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (KJV)

Through the power of Jesus, your spirit can be renewed. Your heart can be cleansed from all the negative, unproductive clutter that’s been residing in it.

These lyrics from the song “Awesome” by Pastor Charles Jenkins say it all:

“My God is Awesome

He can move mountains

Keep me in the valley

Hide me from the rain

My God is Awesome

Heals me when I’m broken

Strength where I’ve been weakened

Forever He will reign…”

If you’re still dealing with a mountain of burdens, if you feel like you’re drowning in the storms of life, if you’re feeling broken and weak, and you’re still holding on to memories of mistreatment from the past, it’s time to let go.

It’s time to let Jesus shine His light into the dark recesses of your heart. Let Him remove all the neatly organized grudges you’ve been holding onto.

Suppression can be fatal.

The feelings you’ve been harboring in your heart are manifesting themselves in the form of:

Depression

Obesity

Strife

Heart disease

High blood pressure

Stomach ulcers

Addictions, and a host of other physical and mental ailments.

If God has blessed you to see another day, it is because He is giving you another opportunity to surrender yourself to Jesus and be delivered.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  (KJV)

Today is your day. Be delivered from the old you and start enjoying the new you – the one who’s been finally set free.

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Rotten Fruit

Posted in God's Gift, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Proverbs 4:23

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

 

Someone said, “What goes into the mind comes out in a life.” What kind of life are you living? Is it a life that puts Jesus Christ first?

How we live is a direct reflection of what we think and how we feel. A tree is known by the fruit it produces. And a bitter tree never produces anything sweet. Our private thoughts and feelings don’t lie.

But we do.

Some folks try to put on a warm and loving façade, but if their heart is cold, it’s just a matter of time before an icy chill begins to infiltrate the space around them.

Sometimes, it only takes seconds. Because a cold heart can not emit anything warm.

Today. It’s time for a change. It’s time for YOUR change.

You are still here, and God is still waiting. You don’t know what tomorrow is bringing, so don’t let your life be in vain.

Today. Understand that what you need is deliverance, deliverance from a cold heart, deliverance from dark and unkind thoughts, deliverance from unforgiveness, deliverance from bitterness – all rotten fruit.

Take the first step to freeing yourself. Surrender to the Saviour, and He will set you free.

Jesus tells us He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 (KJV)

Come out of the rotten ruins of darkness. Step into the light. Be healed. And be free.

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The Pretender

Posted in God's Gift, tagged , , , , , on April 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I just finished reading a blog by someone who spent a few days in a psych ward.  It was  interesting to note the point she made that no one there had to pretend to be anything  other than what they were.  Everyone could finally remove their everything-is-okay mask, and let the real person out.

I’m sure a lot of you know what that mask is.  It’s the one that hides the real person, and covers the everyday flaws that we all possess.  I’m also sure a lot of you know that wearing that mask day in and day out is hazardous to your health, and is in itself, enough to drive you over the edge.

I know I do.  I used to wear that mask.  But then I accepted Jesus Christ into my life, and as He changed and continues to change me, I learned that you can only be what you don’t want to be for so long.  I learned that you can only not be that which you long to be for just as limited a time.

After that…a slow, subtle death begins, and rather than put your dissatisfaction on display for all to see, you don your own personalized mask.

But you’re still dying inside.

Whatever area of your life is causing you to wear a mask – or maybe you have to wear more than one mask – is an area that you need to turn over to Jesus Christ.  This is just one of the reasons why, if you don’t have a relationship with Him, you need one.  And it is not the most important reason…the salvation of your soul is.

Trying to be what other’s expect you to be; trying to act in a way that fits in with everyone else’s’ expectations of you takes its toll.  But for the Christian, we are not living for the praise of mankind.

So, what does God say?  How are we to live according to His requirements?

We are to be DISCIPLINED to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”  Luke 6:46

 We are to be OBEDIENT to the commandments of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15)

 We are to be FOLLOWERS of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”  (Luke 9:23)

 We are to put Jesus FIRST before everything and everyone.  He becomes the center of our life.

Jesus said, “…for no man can serve two masters:…”  (Matthew 6:24)

  The apostle Paul said in Romans 8:38-39:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This can be your wonderful legacy also!  And you won’t have to pretend anymore.

If you will accept Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Master, acknowledge your sinful ways (as we all have) and confess a desire to change from those ways (repent), you can just go to the Father with all your cares, needs, and concerns.  You can approach Him with humble confidence, thanking Him all the way, and praising Him.

Some people may think that I still wear a mask because I don’t get bent out of shape about most things.  But that’s the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in my soul, and I pray to God regularly for strengthening and renewal (when needed) of my faith.  I ask for wisdom and guidance so there’s no need for me to contradict myself by getting all bent out of shape, is there?

I’m not pretending.  I’m not wearing a mask.  And you don’t have to either.  Jesus Christ will set you free from all pretenses if you let Him.  And remember…being freed by Jesus Christ is being free indeed!

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