Monday’s Blog: Pursuing Godliness “The Path of Least Resistance”
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
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This is the last blog in our series on “Pursuing Godliness.†Today we will close with choosing the narrow path, rather than the path of least resistance. When we choose to follow God and His will, we will face resistance. Revelation 12:17 says that Satan wages war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
I shared in the last blog that I am hosting a powerful study in my home titled: “Believing God†by Beth Moore. We have only just begun the study and have already had much resistance. I could fill up this blog with all that has happened in the last few weeks. I’ve led many Bible studies in the past, but never one as powerful as this one. I’ve never had so many women plan to come to a study and not show up because of all the resistance this study has brought.
Matthew 7:13-14 says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
When we want to pursue the things of God, Satan and those who are opposed to God will try to stop us. I can understand why many give up and only a few find the life God intended. It’s hard to press on through difficulties to continue pursuing the things of God. But the difficulties we experience on the narrow path are nothing compared to the glory we will see God work in and through us along the way.
Romans 5:3-4 says, “Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation†(AMP).
When I am experiencing a lot of opposition and trials, I have learned that I have two choices. I can give up and let those trials drag me down deeper into sin. Or I can press on and allow God to use those trials to bring me out of sin, and develop and mature His fruit in me.
Paul told Timothy, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of… (2 Timothy 3:10-14).
It’s very tempting to take the easier road in life, the road of least resistance. But knowing the easy road is the road that leads to our destruction, and the narrow road is the road that leads to the life Christ died to give us, should motivate us to resist that temptation at all cost. As you see in the verses above, even though Paul faced many persecutions, God delivered him from them all.
1 John 4:4 says, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.â€
We shouldn’t be fearful of opposition. We should face each trial with confidence, knowing God is doing an amazing work through us. Satan can’t win. He can irritate us and throw a bunch of roadblocks in front of us. But when we press on, God will turn every one of those roadblocks into a blessing. We won’t find those special blessings on the broad road of least resistance.
This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths. Ask which way leads to blessings. Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves. But you said that you wouldn’t live that way.
Jeremiah 6:16, GW
This probably isn’t the greatest example, but it should help illustrate my point. My kids and I belong to a weekly homeschool co-op group where each parent volunteers to teach or assist in teaching classes. My sister-in-law and I volunteered to teach two classes of twenty-six 3 and 4-year-olds. We volunteered because my three-year-old son and her three-year-old twin boys are so attached to us, we can’t leave them with anyone.
Raising my four children has never been easy for me. Every one of them was difficult from the time they were born through toddler-hood. I’ve never had easy babies like many moms I knew. I’ve never been able to leave them in nursery at church without them crying. I can count on my fingers the amount of times I sat through a full church service without having my infant or toddler’s number pop up on the screen to be picked up.
I recently came home from my co-op class and jokingly told my husband I expelled our son from my class. He got into a fight with a kid, and he spit at and hit the teacher (me)! I expressed to my husband, “Can’t anything with our kids be easy!â€
The following week, my husband tempted me with the offer to keep our son at home with him for the rest of the year while I taught the class. It would be the easiest way for me, but I knew it wouldn’t be the best way. My son had to learn how to get along with other children, and respect me as his mother and as his teacher. With a prayer and some determination I took him with me the following week.
He played with the other kids, obeyed me and even did all the activities we had planned! I never imagined he would improve so much in one week. I was amazed! If I wouldn’t have tried one more week, I wouldn’t have seen such a wonderful change take place in him. I thought, “How many times are we one step away from our blessings?†If we would just press on through the opposition, instead of giving up and taking the road of least resistance, we would find our breakthroughs and blessings we’ve been waiting for.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.†But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:35-39
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for giving us victory over all those who are opposed to You. Help us not back down in fear of opposition. Help us to press on and take hold of the life Jesus died to give us. We rejoice in our trials, knowing You are maturing us in Christ, and Your glory will be revealed in and through us.
In Jesus name, Amen!
Have a blessed week walking on God’s road!
If you missed any blogs in this series, follow these links:
Retaining The Word In Our Hearts
Posted in Monday's Blogs, Pursuing Godliness Series and tagged 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Christ, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, narrow road, path of least resistance, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Renew Your Mind
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Last week I talked about the wilderness. This week I want to focus on the temptations Jesus experienced, and the Israelites experienced, in the wilderness. We’ll compare how Jesus handled those temptations differently than the Israelites.
1st Temptation:
- JESUS
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.â€
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’â€
—Matthew 4:2-4
- ISRAELITES
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.â€
—Exodus 16:1-3
The Bible tells us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2) Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Words will never pass away (Mark 13:31). Jesus knew His spiritual body was more important to feed than his earthly body. The Israelites, on the other hand, cared more about their physical needs than their spiritual needs.
God led the Israelites through the wilderness to renew (renovate) their minds and teach them to stop relying on and following their flesh, and start relying on and following the Holy Spirit.
Before I knew Christ my mind was set on my flesh. Consequently, after I received Christ I continued to follow my flesh even though I no longer wanted to.
God had to work with me to renovate my mind. He had to help me tear down the lies the enemy sowed all those years and replace them with the Truth. He had to teach me how to set my mind on what the Spirit desires, instead of what my sinful nature desires. As my mind is on the Spirit, I am able to put to death the things in my flesh that once controlled me (Romans 8:13).
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
—Romans 8:5-8
The Israelites were hostile to God because their minds were set on their flesh. Jesus was able to remain in peace in the face of temptation because His mind was set on the Spirit.
2nd Temptation:
- JESUS
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,†he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’â€
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
—Matthew 4:5-7
- ISRAELITES
… They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.â€
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?â€
But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?â€
… And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?â€
—Exodus 17:1-3, 7
The Devil tried to tempt Jesus into testing if God was truly with Him. But Jesus knew God would never leave Him, as Deuteronomy 31:8 explains: “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.â€
It amazes me how the Israelites saw God was with them when He parted the Red Sea and rescued them from their oppressors, but they didn’t trust God would be with them through the wilderness. Every time they had a need, they wanted God to prove He was with them.
I think sometimes we allow our minds to be consumed with our trials that we forget all the things God’s done for us. I was worrying about my finances one day when I came across this note I wrote in my journal seven years ago:
“We have been struggling lately with bills and have to charge our groceries and the rest of our Christmas presents, and our credit card is close to maxing out. Yesterday, I wasted an hour trying to win $1,000 on the radio. After wasting my time, I thought to myself, ‘Why am I trying to make God bless me the way I think He needs to. He will provide for us. He will help us pay our bills.’ The next day, my husband got a surprise $1,000 Christmas bonus. He has never gotten a Christmas bonus from this company before. God is real! He is in control! We are now able to pay for our groceries and the rest of our Christmas presents without charging them!â€
God used this past victory to remind me if He provided then, He will provide now. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
If the Israelites would have remembered what God already did for them, they would’ve been at peace and trusted God to provide for their needs.
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.      Â
Selah (pause and think about that)
—Psalm 143:5-6, emphasis mine
3rd Temptation:
- JESUS
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,†he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.â€
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’â€
—Matthew 4:8-10
- ISRAELITES
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.â€
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.†So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.â€
—Exodus 32:1-4
An idol is anything apart from God that we serve and rely on for fulfillment.
Romans 12:1-2 explains how we worship and serve the Lord:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.â€
We live in a drive-thru society. We don’t want to reach the Promise Land God’s way. We don’t want to wait around for Him. We want to skip the hard training, so we leave His path and find a quicker, easier, and more fulfilling way. Or so we think.
I see this happen a lot in the ministry. In my earlier years of following Christ I often felt pressured by others in my church to help out with the youth. I taught Sunday school for a short time, but I dreaded every minute of it. In my heart I knew I was not ready to minister to anyone yet. God was working a lot out of me and I knew I wouldn’t be the light the children needed to lead them to Jesus. So I stepped down and followed God, waiting until He was ready to use me in ministry.
My heart aches whenever I see a worldly-minded Christian in an influential ministry position. The Bible says that we who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). We are held more accountable because of all the lives we are influencing. Jesus said, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit†(Luke 6:39)?
God doesn’t want us chasing anything, including ministry, apart from Him. When we offer our bodies, minds, and hearts to God, He will lead us into His good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives…in His timing, not ours.
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for never leaving us, even when we’ve strayed from Your will. Help us to continually renew our minds in Your Word. Help us to set our minds on Your Spirit and not our flesh. Lead us through the wilderness and into Your good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives. Make us into a vessel fit for Your glory so we can shine Your light, and lead many to Christ.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Next Monday will be the last message in this series. I appreciate all the wonderful comments you have shared! Thank you so much! Please continue to share whatever the Lord puts on your heart in the comment section below. I will be using some of the comments in my book.Â
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christ, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Promised Land by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Fear God
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed any messages in this series. I am using this series in my next book: Escaping Boredom in Christianity. I am also using some of your comments in my book. I ask a couple questions at the end of each post. Feel free to answer whatever the Lord puts on your heart. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Last week I talked about guarding our hearts against sin. I believe one reason many Christians don’t guard their hearts against sin is because they don’t fear the Lord. I heard a preacher recently say that God loves us and He is our friend, but we can’t forget that He’s also God. We will all stand before God and give an account of our lives (Romans 14:12). That’s not something we should take lightly.
One time, while reading the Bible, I came across several verses that said to fear the Lord. At the time, I hadn’t heard anything about the fear of the Lord, so it intrigued me to look up all the verses I could find that talked about it. I was amazed how many verses I found that instructed us to fear God, and even more amazed at all the blessings that followed.
As I learned the importance of fearing the Lord, I was eager to find out how to fear Him.
God showed me through Proverbs 2:1-5:
- VERSE 1: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,â€
To accept God’s Words we need to believe EVERYTHING in the Bible is TRUE. I believe the reason I’ve had a fire in my spirit for the Lord, from the moment I started following Him, is because I have never read a verse and doubted it was true. Even when I am struggling with doubt in a situation, I never doubt God’s Word and His faithfulness. My doubt is always about my ability to receive God’s Truths and knowing how to apply them to my life.
When we read God’s Word, and accept it as Truth, we store up His commands in our hearts. Then, when a temptation or trial comes, the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance the Truth we have stored in our hearts, and we are equipped to overcome it (John 14:26).
- VERSE 2: “turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,â€
We need to listen and take heed to the training and instruction of the Lord. Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.†The Bible warns us not to merely listen to the Word, and so deceive ourselves. We are to DO what it says (James 1:22). God can do a wonderful work in us when He has our full undivided attention.
-  VERSE 3: “and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,â€
Do you have trouble understanding the Bible and applying it to your life?
God says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know†(Jeremiah 33:3).
Proverbs 1:6-7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And it is the only way to understanding the proverbs and parables and the sayings of the wise. God is the only One Who can reveal His Word to us and give us understanding.
I am not book smart. I don’t have any degrees. I am not a Bible scholar. The things I learn in His Word don’t come from my own wisdom. Even as I write these blogs, I am amazed how God gives me His wisdom to share His Word.
-  VERSE 4: “and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,â€
I read a wonderful message recently by Lori Hatcher, author of the blog: “Be Not Weary.†She shared how at one time she wasn’t sure she really loved God. As she searched her heart, she discovered she was grateful to God. She feared and respected God. And she even desired to please and serve God. But she said, “I thought about the people I love and the warm, affectionate, and sometimes almost painful intensity of emotion that I feel toward them, and I had to admit that I did not feel that level of intense emotion toward God.â€
She thought back to her dating years and what made her fall in love with her husband. She decided to apply some of those principles to God and seek out His love.
She expressed, “I started spending time with Him in prayer (speaking and listening). I became a student of Him in order to learn all about Him. I began reading the Bible, often called God’s Love Letter to the world, looking for aspects of His character. I started a list in the front of my Bible of every adjective I found that described God.
I read about what made Him laugh and what made Him cry. I started spending time with His family–the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I saw His family traits demonstrated through them. I learned what motivates Him, which ultimately boils down to one word:
LOVE
and I fell madly in love with Him.â€
She hungered to love God. She looked for His love as for silver and searched for it as for hidden treasure. And she found what she was looking for. She fell madly in love with God.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.â€
—Jeremiah 29:13
- VERSE 5: “THEN you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God†(emphasis mine).
When we accept God’s Words as Truth, and store up His commands in our hearts, and listen to His instructions, and when we cry out for insight and understanding of His Word and His will, and we seek Him and search for Him with all our hearts, we will find Him and understand what it truly means to fear the Lord.
Fearing God isn’t about walking on pins and needles before Him, feeling like we have to do everything right. The verses following those in Proverbs 2 explain how the wisdom of God, found only through the fear of the Lord, protects us, preserves us, and keeps us from following the wrong path.
Verses 9-10 say, “Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.â€
When we revere God, He gives us His wisdom and understanding. Then, we begin to see life through His eyes. We begin to see the reasons behind God’s instructions. We begin to see why God tells us to do and not to do certain things. We begin to see that all God’s instructions are for our own benefit.
I once heard a preacher say, “The law was given for two reasons: 1) to fear God’s punishment so we don’t let Satan get an inroad in our lives 2) to show us we can never follow it and save ourselves.â€
God wants us to fear Him because He loves us and wants to protect us. How great is our God that He wants us to fear Him for our own good! His love is more amazing than we can even imagine. How much our lives would change if we would learn to truly fear the Lord and walk in His wisdom.
The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
—Psalm 34:7-8
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Heavenly Father,
We praise You for loving us more than we can imagine. Teach us to always walk in reverence to You. Unite our hearts with Yours so we can truly fear You. Give us wisdom and knowledge of Your Word and Your will for our lives. Help us to walk humbly before You so our spirits are continually on fire for You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
 Questions for my book:
Do you think many Christians today don’t fear God?
If so, what do you believe hinders them from fearing God?
Is there anything you would like to share about the fear of the Lord that I didn’t address?
*I appreciate your responses. I will not use any personal information in my book (name, email, website, etc.). Remember to come back next week as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christianity, fear of the Lord, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Backsliding
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed any messages in this series. I am using this series in my next book: Escaping Boredom in Christianity. I am also using some of your comments in my book. I ask a couple questions at the end of each post. Feel free to answer whatever the Lord puts on your heart. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
This week I want to talk about backsliding. We all go through times when we don’t feel as close to God as we would like to. It’s important to know when we are drifting away from God, and how to find our way back to Him.
I wrote a message last year for SRL Ministries about the dangers of letting a little yeast into our marriages. I explained how we should never take our marriages for granted. If we get too comfortable in our marriages we may start to let our guard down. This applies even more so to our walk with Christ.
There are many things the Bible warns us to be on guard against. Here are a few:
- Rebellion – “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).
- False teachings  – “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position†(2 Peter 3:17).
- Losing faith – “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong†(1 Corinthians 16:1).
- Allowing our trials to lead us to sin – “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap†(Luke 21:34, NASB).
- The Satan’s deception – “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour†(1 Peter 5:8, NLT).
- Our hearts (most important) – “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life†(Proverbs 4:23).
This week I want to focus on sin, and guarding our hearts.
When things are going well in my life, and I am comfortable with my relationship with God, I have a higher tendency to let my guard down. When my guard is down, I start to let the “little†sins slide (what we would considered “little”). Once I allow the “little†sins to go unchecked, I become weak to the “bigger†temptations.
For example, the Bible informs us: “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander†(Matthew 15:19). When we don’t stand guard against wrong thoughts (sexually immoral, hateful, slanderous, etc.) we allow them to take root in our hearts.
Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.†The little things God warns us against matter, because they subtly pull our hearts away from God. The further our hearts drift away from God, the less discernment and power we have to turn from sin.
I once heard a preacher say, “We are dangerously far away when we can sin with little conviction. We should run home to the Father as quickly as we can.â€
The Bible says we have died to sin (Romans 6:2). Sin can no longer have control over us. So when sin does have control over us, and we care very little about it, we are in a dangerous place. We need to quickly repent and run back to God.
In the first message of this series, I shared the different classes of boredom in Christianity. Sadly, one of the most common classes we see today is the divided heart class, which is what the Bible calls “luke-warm†believers. A luke-warm Christian allows what they consider “little†sins to keep their hearts from being fully committed to God. This is one of the most dangerous places to be, as Revelation 3:16 explains:
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.â€
Jo Huddleston shared in her book, Amen and Good Night, God: “The lure of the lifestyle I left behind beckoned through my boredom with a sweet, clear voice. Boredom must be one of Satan’s most powerful and subtle weapons. He made my old ways look as attractive as ever. And so inviting. It would have been easy today for me to have stepped across seduction’s thin line and into the arms of worldly pleasure.â€
Satan makes sin appealing. Proverbs 7:25-26 warns against adultery, “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.â€
But verse 21 shows how appealing Satan makes it: “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.â€
Verse 22-23 says how he followed her, “little knowing it will cost him his life.â€
Adultery isn’t the only sin Satan lures us with. We may think a “little†lie, a “little†gossip or slander, holding on to a “little†anger or resentment, filling our eyes and minds with a “little†junk (immoral music, books, movies, etc.) doesn’t hurt us. After all, so many others are doing worse things and they seem to be doing fine.
When confronted with sin, one woman retorted, “Well, pastor so and so was doing it too.†We are responsible to live according to the Word of God, not according to what others are doing, even if they are Christian leaders. Jesus is our example. If He wouldn’t do it, we shouldn’t do it.
Every act of disobedience is a step further away from God. Those “little†things matter much more than we realize.
Kerry Johnson wrote in one of her blogs: “I’ve found the more I seek God and His word, the less I desire things of the world.â€Â That’s true. The more we follow God and His Word, the more we will desire to obey Him. But the more we give into our flesh, the more we will desire sin.
I’ve heard people say, “But it’s too hard to turn from sin. I just can’t.â€
With God’s help we can turn from ANY sin, if we want to. Sometimes sin has such a stronghold on us that we don’t want to turn from it, even though we know it’s pulling our hearts away from God and hurting us.
I talked to a woman once who was living with her boyfriend. She was a Christian. She knew God didn’t approve of her situation. She knew she was disobeying Him. She felt the conviction. She was uncomfortable. But she said she couldn’t stop. I encouraged her that she could stop. She could either move out, or go to court and get married right away.
God says He will ALWAYS give us a way out of sin. Sadly, we don’t always want to take His way out.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
—1 Corinthians 10:13
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for never letting us be tempted beyond what we can bear. Help us to turn from sin and turn to You. Help us never to be cold, or luke-warm. Keep that fire burning hot in our spirits for You! Help us to be on guard against the little yeast Satan uses to lure our hearts away from You. Keep our hearts filled with You so there is no room in it for things of this world.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
 Questions for my book:
Can you tell when your heart is drifting away from God?
The times when you’ve felt distant from the Lord, what were the causes?
*I appreciate your responses. I will not use any personal information in my book (name, email, website, etc.). Remember to come back next week as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
*Subscribe below to receive email reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged backsliding, Boredom, Christ, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – Dare To BELIEVE!
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
Before we continue our series, I want to announce the Kindle version for my book “You Can Have a Happy Family” will be FREE on Amazon Wednesday and Thursday (2/8-2/9) to celebrate National Marriage Week. If you know anyone who needs encouragement in their marriage, please spread the word by using the share tab below.
We continue our series today on igniting the fire in our spirits. You can follow this link if you missed any posts in this series.
This week I feel led to talk about unbelief since it’s the main cause of unfulfillment in the body of Christ. Unbelief is like a fire extinguisher. Nothing will put out the fire in our spirits quicker than unbelief.
Since following Christ, God has continued to work with me on my attitude. Just when I think I’ve got it all together, God shows me a part of my attitude that still needs to change. Lately God has been showing me that the root cause of a bad attitude is unbelief. My pastor shared a similar message yesterday about how bad behaviors are caused by bad beliefs. He said behind every self-defeating behavior is a lie that we are believing. And to stop defeating ourselves we must stop deceiving ourselves.
My neighbor is a Christian, but she’s always very doom and gloom. She has some medical problems, and her husband is in a nursing home. When I saw her last week, I asked how her husband was doing. She kind of rolled her eyes and said, “He’ll never get better.†So I asked how she was doing. She said she had to go for surgery in a couple days and she seemed pessimistic they would find cancer.
To try to lift her spirit, I mentioned some miracles I’ve seen God do in people’s lives. I shared how some have gone to the hospital for surgery and were sent home because the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with them. I thought she would disregard what I said, but surprisingly, she recalled the same thing happened to her father when he was scheduled for cataracts surgery years ago. She said the doctor sent him home because they couldn’t find anything wrong with his eyes.
By drawing her attention away from her problem and encouraging her to focus on what God could do, I believe it sparked a little faith in her heart. The day after her scheduled surgery, I sent her a text asking how she was doing. Amazingly, instead of being negative, she said she was doing well, and thanked God that there was no cancer!
Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
—John 11:40
Sometimes we say we believe God, but our actions tell Him differently. When we murmur and complain to everyone about our problems, we are telling God we don’t trust Him. When we handle our problems our way instead of God’s way, we are telling God our plan is better than His. When we complain to God, begging Him to answer our prayers, we are telling Him we don’t trust He will.
I used to be the queen of doubt. It used to drive my husband crazy. He would always say, “How could you have so much faith at one moment and then when circumstances change you lose it, just like that?†I’d read a passage in the Bible, get all excited and tell my husband how much I trusted God. No sooner would I share it with him, than I’d get tested with a trial that related to the verse and quickly lose faith.
James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Why is it so hard for us to believe God will answer our prayers? I believe the main reason is because the world tells us different. The world’s ways are contrary to God’s ways. It’s sometimes hard to believe God’s promises when we are constantly bombarded with deception.
It’s been almost three years since God called me to the ministry of writing. The devil has sent a lot of deception and people to come against me to try and stop me. In the last year, it’s been a struggle to keep my faith with so many voices telling me different.
My husband has been supportive for the most part. Yet lately I’ve felt as though he thinks I am wasting time and money writing, because he hasn’t seen any fruit from it yet. To avoid hurting our relationship, I have been trying to only write late at night when he’s asleep. I’ve stayed up as late as 5 in the morning to get my work done. It’s been difficult with having four young children to care for and homeschool.
In the last couple months I have been worn down and contemplating if it’s worth it. Over the weekend, while cleaning my house, I asked God to show me if I am in His will and if I am doing the right thing. I thought maybe I have been misled and I’m not in His will.
Later that evening, I was laying in bed with my husband when I asked him to pray with me. As he was about to pray, He remembered something that happened at work that day. His boss was talking to him, lining him up on a job, when all of a sudden my husband felt God say, “Support your wife and tell her she is doing the right thing.”
My husband was surprised. I was surprised too since I hadn’t told my husband my prayer. God caught my husband’s attention, so He could deliver a message to him and answer my prayer!
God is amazing! He truly hears and answers our prayers. We don’t need to worry and doubt God. We need to simply believe Him.
Have faith in God,†Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
—Mark 11:22-24
Whatever problem you are facing today, God has the solution. Stand on God’s promises even if everyone around you is telling you there’s no hope for your situation. Keep rejoicing in God’s Word and trust in His faithfulness. As you trust Him, He’ll ignite a fire in your spirit, and nothing the devil throws at you will be able to extinguish it!
Heavenly Father,
We praise You that You hear and answer our prayers. We praise You that even when we don’t know what to pray, You know what we need. Help us overcome any unbelief and doubt we may have. Help us to stand on Your promises, and trust the Word that goes out from Your mouth will not return to You void, but will accomplish what You desire. It will achieve the purpose for which You sent it (Isaiah 55:11). You are faithful to Your Word.
 In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
 Questions for my book:
Do you have a story you would like to share about a prayer God has answered?
Do you want to share a special miracle you have witnessed in your life or the lives of others?
I would love to hear your stories. I will be using some of them in my next book: Escaping Boredom In Christianity.
Please know I am reserving the right to use any comments on this site in my book. However, I will not share any personal information in the book (i.e. names, email addresses, websites, etc.). Your comments will be completely anonymous.
Thanks in advance for your comments! Be sure to come back next Monday as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Follow my new facebook page to receive reminders of new posts.
*Subscribe below to receive email reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christ, Christianity, Fire, God, Jesus, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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Monday’s Blog: Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit – God’s Goodness
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
We continue our series on igniting the fire in our spirits. Follow this link if you missed the last two messages in this series.
I was talking to a friend last week. He had recently returned from visiting a former colleague of his. While he was at dinner with her, she asked him to share how he came to know the Lord. She was raised in a Christian home, but she said his testimony was different than she had been taught.
All she heard growing up in the church was that we are sinners, but she never heard about the goodness of God. My friend said she listened intently as he talked about God’s love for us, and shared all the good things God has given us. He said now that she knows the Truth, God can work in her heart and she’ll have no choice but to fall in love with God.
When Christ preached, He didn’t beat people down for their sins. He appealed to them in love. He didn’t condone sin. But He didn’t condemn them for it. He had mercy on them and forgave them for their sins.
When God called me to start this website, I asked what He wanted me to tell people in my first post. I heard over and over in my spirit, “Tell them I love them.â€
God didn’t say, “Tell them what horrible sinners they are.†And God didn’t lead me to only share His commands. He led me to share the reasons and benefits behind His commands, so people would know God is for them, not against them.
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love…
—Philemon 1:8-9
Satan uses guilt and condemnation to make people think God is disappointed in them.
Revelation 12:10 says, “…for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.â€
If Satan constantly accused us before God when he was in heaven, then he’s surely going to accuse us while he’s here on earth.
I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about condemnation. My New Year’s resolution this year was to get rid of all condemnation. It’s only been a few weeks since I made my resolution, but I have noticed a dramatic change in my life. Being free from guilt has made room in my heart for more joy in serving God. My fire is burning more now than ever for the Lord.
By paying close attention to condemnation, I notice how many times I hold on to guilt. It’s so subtle that I didn’t realize it until I started looking for it. I notice it’s mostly the small things that I condemn myself for. For example, when I forget to do something for someone, I get upset with myself and hold on to it for a few hours, or sometimes days, instead of giving it to God and forgiving myself right away.
I also notice I see the Bible in a different light when I read it without any condemnation. When I read the Bible, sometimes I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed, because I need help in so many areas. But when I read it without any condemnation, I see each command as a promise from God, instead of a burden.
When a verse says that we shall do this and we shall not do that, instead of feeling overwhelmed, we should praise God that those are His promises for us. He promises to help us obey those commands, which are meant for our benefit.
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.â€
—John 14:15, KJV
In the past, that verse used to frustrate me. I used to think it meant: If I love Jesus, then I better keep His commandments.
Who can possibly keep all His commandments? No one. Jesus was the only one who could.
I felt God show me that the verse means: If you love Jesus, then you will BE ABLE to keep His commandments.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.â€
—John 15:5
Jesus prayed that God would sanctify His disciples through His Word, which is Truth (John 17:17).
When we read the Bible in faith, the power of His Word waters and produces His fruit in us. When we read the Bible or hear a message preached from the Bible, we will feel uncomfortable at times. That uncomfortable feeling is conviction. Conviction is God making us aware of sin in our lives, so we can cooperate with Him to get rid of those things that are hindering His fruit from developing in us. God’s conviction is not meant to condemn us. It’s meant to help us.
Satan wants to make us think God is condemning us so we feel guilty when we read the Bible. He does this to keep us away from God’s Word. We must stand our ground and not allow ourselves to be condemned, not even for a moment. When we fall into sin, we should confess it to God and repent—turn away from the sin and turn to God. But we shouldn’t condemn ourselves for it. When we read the Bible and God convicts us of sin, we should thank Jesus that He already paid the price for that sin, and thank God that He is helping us overcome it.
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 6:22-23, NKJV
Heavenly Father,
We praise You for forgiving us our sins by sending Jesus to save us. Help us not to condemn ourselves, because we know that You don’t condemn us. Show us Your goodness as we study Your Word each day. Shower us with Your love, so we will never be hungry for anything other than You.
In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen!
Questions for my book:
When you sin, do you give it to God and forgive yourself right away? Or do you punish yourself for a few hours, days, weeks, months, or even years?
When you read the Bible do you feel condemnation or conviction?
I would love to have you share your comments below. I will be using some of them in my next book: Escaping Boredom In Christianity. Please understand I reserve the right to use any comments on this site in my book. But I will not share any personal information in the book (i.e. names, email addresses, websites, etc.).
Thanks for your comments! Be sure to come back next Monday as the series continues.
*If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, please click on the “SALVATION†tab at the top of the website. Don’t wait another day!
*All Bible verses are taken from the NIV, unless otherwise noted.
*Subscribe below to receive email reminders of new posts.
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christ, Christianity, condemnation, Fire, God, Holy Spirit, Righteous living by Amanda Beth with
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24 comments.
Monday’s Blog: New Series “Ignite The Fire In Your Spirit”
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,†his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
—Jeremiah 20:9
I am so excited to start this new series! I know God is going to ignite such a fire in our spirits that nothing in this world will be able to extinguish!!
God gave me the idea for this series a couple weeks ago, after I received a message on my blog from a woman inquiring:
I have asked Jesus into my heart, and repented, but you seem to have something special in your walk that I don’t have. What should I do?
This is a question many of us have asked at one time or another in our walk with Christ. Last year, I began writing a book titled: Escaping Boredom in Christianity. When I had the name of my book posted on my website, I was shocked how many times people landed on my site from searching “Boredom” and “Christianity” on Google.
So many Christians do not know how to live the fulfilled life Christ came to give them.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full†(John 10:10).
Satan wants to steal our joy in Christianity, so outsiders don’t want to join us. He wants to kill our testimonies in Christianity, so we repel people away from Christ instead of attracting them to Christ. He can’t destroy Christianity, and our salvation, but he can destroy our minds and bodies, making us ineffective on earth.
We don’t have to let him succeed though, because greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). With our spirits on fire for the Lord, we can dramatically change the world’s view of Christianity. We can be a light in a dark place.
I am going to use this “Ignite the Fire†series in my next book. I will also be posting a survey during the series to gather your thoughts. I want to know what people are struggling with so I can address those issues in the series and the book. Please help me spread the word of this series by using the share tabs below.
I will ask a few questions at the end of every post. I would love to hear your responses in the comment section below each post. All comments during the series will have a possibility of being used in my book. I will not use any names, only your comments.
As always, I’m giving God complete control over this series, so I don’t know when it will end and where He will lead it. But for now, here are a few areas I hope to discuss (in no particular order):
- Unbelief
- Prayer
- Condemnation
- Fear of the Lord
- Distractions
- Forgiveness
- Confidence
- Perseverance
- Pride
- Obedience
- Envy
- Church
- Mind
- Purity
- Attitude
- Backsliding
Throughout the years, I’ve observed different classes of those experiencing boredom (lack of fulfillment) in Christianity.
First is the STRICTLY RELIGIOUS class. These are the ones who go to church and observe the religious traditions, but don’t have a relationship with Christ. Religion without relationship inevitably leaves them unfulfilled.
Second is the RETURNED TO EGYPT class. Those in this class were once fulfilled and excited when they found a relationship with Christ. But once they went through the wilderness they lost that excitement and turned back to the world.
Third is the BURNT OUT class. Here are those who want to live for God by serving others. They serve in every opportunity they are presented. They get lost in working for God instead of working with God, following Him where He leads. As a result, they end up burnt out and bitter.
Fourth is the DIVIDED HEART class, which is what the Bible calls “luke-warm†Christians. Those in this class want to love God but they also want to enjoy the world. Therefore, they are always on the fence. They are half for the world and half for God. This is where I would say a lot of Christians are today.
Last is the STUCK IN THE WILDERNESS class. Those in this class follow God with all their hearts. They’ve left everything behind to follow Christ. But during the trials in the wilderness they begin to get lonely and start thinking about everything they’ve given up. They don’t know how to reach out and embrace their new lives. They don’t find complete enjoyment in Christ, but they also don’t want to go back to the world because they know they won’t find fulfillment there. They can’t see past the wilderness to move into the promise land.
I can say that I have been in every one of these classes, in some form, throughout my life. I am living proof that with God’s help, it is possible to escape boredom in Christianity. I am excited to work with God to help Christians press past boredom and step into a new class in Christ, a FULFILLED, ON FIRE FOR THE LORD Christian.
Questions for my book:
Do you agree with these classes of boredom? Do you see yourself in any of these classes? Do you think there are other classes of boredom that I didn’t address?
I would love to hear your comments. They will be extremely helpful for my book. Please understand I reserve the right to use any comments in my book. Again, I will not share your personal information in my book (i.e. names, email addresses, websites, etc.).
Thank you for your support! Come back next Monday as the series continues.
*I’m also running a series titled “Ignite The Fire In Your Marriage” at Titus 2 In Action. Follow this link to follow the series.
*I got a new author Facebook page. My Sharing Truth’s FB page will be deleted. Please “LIKE” my new page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/
Posted in Ignite The Fire Series, Monday's Blogs and tagged Boredom, Christianity, Fire, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus by Amanda Beth with
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19 comments.
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