Acts Sunday
I wanna sit at Your feet
Drink from the cup in your hand
Lay back against You and breathe
Feel your heartbeat
This love is so deep
It's more than I can stand
I melt in Your peace, it's overwhelming
Ramah is going to Israel!
2 Samuel 7:23
Jeremiah 30
In the last 100 years, SO many prophecies about Israel have been fulfilled. WWII re-established the nation of Israel.
Romans 1:16
YOU are the light of the world.
We have a certain way we should live our life - for the love of God to flow out of us.
How do we get ourselves there?
It's not just learning it. Sometimes there are things that need to happen in our lives to make us free enough to set other people free. Now, we will never be truly free until we see JESUS. The best Christians we know still have issues - but freedom is a big deal, the more we have of it the more JESUS flows through us.
Our freedom will be the result of what we choose to believe, what we confess, what we forgive, what we renounce, and what we forsake. And NO ONE can do those things for us. We have to change our thinking. Our minds have to be constantly transformed by the truth of God's word. Too many Christians accept salvation without transformation.
What are you holding onto of the old life and the old thinking that you are simultaneously trying to carry along with your life with Christ?
Without acknowledgement that there is an enemy and we are in a battle, we are still in bondage. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy in our lives.
We're free, but we keep walking back into bondage! What we do when we walk out the doors is what shows if we can maintain that freedom.
"He who conceals is sins does not prosper - but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
Proverbs 28:13
Ezekiel 14:6
In a public profession of faith, the church would say "I renounce you satan". You break your hold and your ties and your agreement with them.
Renouncing means you give up your right to something; you give up its claim on your life.
Satan is JUST as real as JESUS is. And there are all kinds of ways that he tries to tear us down. Other religions, for instance, like Brandon always says.
Have you ever seen, heard, or felt a spiritual being in your room?
I remember that time Sarah talked about.. Maybe seeing a spirit in her room. But it was probably a demon...
Do you have recurring nightmares?
An imaginary friend?
Voices in your head?
Repeating nagging thoughts like I'm worthless, dumb, ugly?
Have you ever made a secret vow or pact?
Have you ever been involved in any satanic ritual of any kind?
Have you ever attended a concert or listened to music about satan?
^^i wonder if this includes literature and media like movies that are about satan. "Ghost Rider" comes to mind. I would think it is included
Lies.
Do you know how you know what's true as a believer?
God's Word.
There are many things we want to be true, that aren't.
What we FEEL isn't what's true. But what God's Word says is true, is true.
Is there anything you've developed your own truth about that's contrary to the Word of God?
James 4:7
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Purify your hearts.
When you realize there is a struggle, then THAT is the time to lay down at the cross and cry out for help - whatever it takes to be free.
When we are discouraged, it will ALWAYS go back to something we're believing that's not true.
Ways we are deceived by the world:
Believing that acquiring money and things will bring happiness.
Believing excess of food and alcohol will make us happy.
Believing an attractive body or personality will get us what we want.
Believing gratifying our sexual lusts will meet our lasting satisfaction.
Believing we can sin without any negative consequence in our life.
Believing we can hang out with the wrong people and not become corrupted.
Believing there are no consequences on earth for our sin.
Believing we have to measure up to some standard in order to feel good about ourselves.
What are you deceived in?
(There are thousands more that we didn't list)
We deceive ourselves by hearing God's Word and not doing what it says, and thinking we are sinless. By thinking we can radically follow JESUS, and still walk in filth and junk.
YOU are deceiving yourself if you think you can still follow JESUS and hold on to one sin because it's "not that bad".
Unforgiveness.
If we do not forgive people, we get tortured.
Mark 11 - unforgiveness has a huge impact on our ability to live a life of faith.
Ephesians 4:26 - do not sin when angry. Don't let the sun go down on your anger - that's a foothold of the devil.
"I forgive you, I just don't like them."
If you still have anger or bitterness toward them, then you're not free.
Well.. I mean my dad comes to mind whenever unforgiveness is mentioned; I just don't know that it's actually the issue. Im indifferent. Im not mad, I'm not upset about anything. He's never done anything to me personally. Im simply content with his absence, and don't have a desire to bring him into my life because of his choices.. *shrugs* I don't agree with a lot of what he does. And, I have a heavenly Father. He simply isn't a need that I have, there is no role he can fill that God hasn't already. I don't have any resentment.
Hebrews 12:1
Let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders us. Everything.
"You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your struggle against sin."
Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
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