“No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” Romans 2:29 NIV
Today is Romans 2.
God’s desire since creation has been to have people who are His. (Jeremiah 31:33). We were created with a purpose. This purpose is for our spiritual hearts (the center of our being —our mind, will, and emotions) to be a reflection of Him.
When sin entered our world in the Garden of Eden, the sinful nature filled our hearts. Since that time, our minds have been filled with selfish thoughts. Our will- desires- have been for our own ways and not God’s. Our emotions have reflected this. We feel hatred, bitterness, anger, anxiousness, discontentedness. This is all because we need our spiritual hearts to be transformed!
At salvation, when we accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, we receive a new heart — one that desires to obey Him. BUT our old desires, our old thoughts, our old emotions need to be removed. This is a spiritual circumcision — cutting away — of our spiritual hearts. The Holy Spirit is the one working all this within our hearts as we submit to Him. Simply put, God wants to change us from our old way of living to His new way of living.
Where we had turmoil, He desires to give us peace. Where we had hatred, He longs to give us love. Where we have been angry, He offers to help us to forgive others. The list goes on and on.
When we allow God to transform our lives, we will experience Him in a close relationship like none other. We will know Him. This knowing of Him, or intimacy with Him, will change us. We will reflect Him more and more each day.
May we submit to the Holy Spirit as He circumcises our hearts!
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 NIV
Self focus is deadly!!! It produces fights and quarrels with others. It leads us to atrocious sins.
The self focused person wants what they want when and how they want it. Their theme is “it’s all about me…” But when we live our lives focused on us and our desires, we cannot receive from God. That is because our motives are wrong. Our desires are set on getting what we want — our pleasures.
If our lives lack peace and God feels distant, there is one phrase that will describe the root of what is going on. It is worthy of saying it out loud so understanding can come. “ I am the problem…” I need to get my eyes off of me and onto God who holds everything I need.
Life is not about me at all. It is all about Him!!! If my desires are set on Him, if I ask God for His provision from a heart that is surrendered to Him entirely, totally, and completely, if my life is all about God, I will dwell in God. His peace, joy, and love will fill my life.
“I am the problem” can be changed to “Jesus is the answer.” He is to be our lives. That is the only way to live as we were created to be.
Today is Mark 10:32-53 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Verses 43-44
If I truly want to be like Jesus, I must serve and give my life away. When I follow Him, my ways, my thoughts, my desires, and ambitions must go. My life is no longer about me, but Jesus.
The world says “follow your heart”, but Jesus says “pick your cross and follow me.” The world says “listen to your truth,” but Jesus says, “I am the way the truth, and the life.” The world says, “acquire wealth, recognition, and self fulfillment.” Jesus says “serve and give up your life.”
We must choose. The world’s way seems right, but it ends in death. The Jesus way is the only way to abundant life.
What is God showing you today in our scripture? Post it below. 👇👇👇
Today is Mark 9:30-50 ❤️🙌🔥 for the “Bible Book of the Month Club — The Gospel of Mark”
We are born selfish. Our tendency is to figure out how to put our thoughts, our desires, and our feelings first. Our world tells us to “live our own truth”, “follow our hearts”, and “chase our dreams.” The disciples exhibited this selfish nature as they walked along the road arguing with each other over who was the greatest.
Jesus told His disciples the way to greatness in His kingdom. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” The nature of a servant is to serve and to give up their selfish ambitions in order to please their master.
Life is not about the positions we attain, but the pursuit of Jesus. His Lordship means we give up ourselves, listen to His Word and obey it fully. We serve Him and those whom He puts in our path to serve. This is greatness in His Kingdom!
“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV
Sin is an uncomfortable topic in our modern world. Many have come to believe that we are beyond that concept. Our thoughts, feelings, and actions cannot be the problem. The problem is the environment we have lived, the people we have interacted with and the situations that have made us. Victims… we are just victims floating aimlessly in a torrent of occurrences that have shaped who we have become. In order to experience differently we must make ourselves what we want to be, chasing what we want, when and how we want it. However, this way of thinking only digs a deeper and deeper hole for the individual who embraces them. Why? It is a complete denial of the truth written in God’s word. It is pursuit of a way outside of relationship with the only one who holds the cure for the death, darkness, and destruction in our lives…Jesus.
We are not self made, and the solution for all the “negative emotions” we feel within ourselves is not found within ourselves. We have a Creator. This Creator designed us for connection to Him in a deep and intimate relationship. When we live our lives separated from this design, we experience lives far from what He created us for. Our Creator is good, loving, kind, peaceful, true, just, etc. He is the only source of these characteristics. So our disconnection from Him means that we live disconnected from all that He is. Apart from God there is no good thing. (Psalm 16:2)
The question then becomes, if separation from my Creator is what is bringing all the anger, anxiety, hatred, bitterness, fear, control issues, etc., WHY am I separated from Him? Who separated me from the source of life I desperately need? The answer is you and I. Our deliberate choice to sin has separated us. We are sinners.
The good news is as we come to terms with what we are is there is a solution for what separates us from the peace, joy, love, faithfulness, self- control, etc. that we all need. It is a solution that is far more simple than our repeated attempts of “self- help” techniques. Because quite truthfully, we cannot help ourselves. We cannot fix what is wrong inside of us. This is only fixed by the one who created us, God.
God has provided the solution to the sin that destroys us, Jesus. Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection provided the way. As we come to Him in repentance, asking Him to cleanse us from the sin we have in our heart. He begins a good work within us. He gives us a new heart that is inclined to live in a relationship pursing Him. As we see it is our choice to sin and to pursue ourselves over God that is separating us from living a life of abundance, we have come to a place we can accept the Good News!
The problem — our iniquity and sin. The solution — repentance and surrender to Jesus!
“I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:19-22 NIV
For several years, I lived my life subjected to the cruel taskmaster of anxiety. It ruled over my life. Anxiety dictated my daily routine: Get out of bed. Take your first anxiety pill of the day: Do your daily exercise of Eastern Meditation on Headspace. Now start your day. Throughout the day anxiety would exercise its control over my feelings and emotions. Time to do breathing techniques, practice mindfulness, engage in the 5,4,3,2,1 method, then repeat. Often, I could not shake the feelings of a tight throat and a tight chest. Then it was time for my evening anxiety pill. I crawled into bed. I hoped for a night free of an anxious awakening at 2 am, lying awake for hours, and experiencing what I did in the day. This scenario was repeated day after day, night after night. I was a slave to my sin of anxiety. I was subject to its control, and it was producing death, darkness, and destruction inside of me.
Our verses this week are once again about holiness. This holiness is a benefit as we live our lives as “slaves to righteousness.” It is a life of freedom from sin as we live our lives set apart for His sacred use – a life of love, faith, holiness, and prayer. In this life, we are “slaves to God,” under His control and His rule. This submission to Him is always for our benefit, because He is a good Lord and Master. Being His slave results in more than holiness. Through it we experience “eternal life.”
Three years ago, I learned that we were created to serve someone. The words of this verse were proved true in my life. I came to understand that I had a choice. I could continue to “offer the parts of my body in slavery to impurity and ever-increasing wickedness” that the sin of anxiety was producing, or I could become a “slave to God.” I would either serve an evil master of sin or our loving and Holy God. I could not serve them both. I had to choose. This is the truth for each and every one of us. To not choose God is to choose the enemy.
God is holy. He is perfectly and impeccably pure, completely immaculate, and uncompromisingly righteous and just. He desires for us to be in relationship with Him, but in order for us to be close to Him, we must be holy as He is holy. To do so, we must “offer ourselves as slaves to righteousness.” The benefit we receive is a pure heart and freedom from sin and sinful affections, conformed to the image of God. We will be holy and the “result will be eternal life” with Him.
As you have read the words above, have you become aware that you are a “slave to impurity?” Is there an addiction or a sin that keeps you from experiencing a close relationship with God and the freedom from sin that He alone gives? God desires for us to live our lives surrendered to Him as a “slave to righteousness” that will lead to holiness. He desires us to be close to Him in a relationship of intimacy filled with His goodness, joy, peace, and love. We can only experience this when we live our lives fully surrendered to Him!
Our song this week is once again by Charity Gayle, “Because of Jesus.” Because of what Jesus has done, we can know that we are finally free of the sin that destroys! He has redeemed us and made us holy as He is holy. May our hearts desire to serve Him in complete obedience to His Word. May we live as His “slaves to righteousness” which leads to holiness – holiness in heart and in everything we do!
”“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.“. Proverbs 31:29-30 NIV
A wife of Noble character… Who would not want to be a woman that is distinguished and honored? Today’s chapter speaks of the characteristics of that woman: hard working, generous, strong, etc…. It all culminates with the verses above and the phrase, “a woman who fears the Lord.”
To fear the Lord is to see Him rightly and have a reverential awe of Him. This leads us to love Him. When we see Him as He is: holy- impeccably pure and uncompromisingly righteous, just, true, etc., we understand that He is worthy of our complete obedience, complete submission, and complete dependence. We desire to hate or shun sin that will destroy us. We desire to live after God’s ways. The woman who lives desiring to follow God with all of her heart, soul, and mind is to be praised, or in the Hebrew it says “to shine.” A Godly woman will display His glory and beauty everywhere.
When we, as women, put God first in our lives and live our lives filled with His love. His love will naturally flow out of us onto all those around us. We will live our lives with His characteristics flowing out of us. We will be the women that God created us to be. We will reflect His image to everyone around.
True beauty is not found in all the make up and hair products at Ulta or perfectly toned bodies from a gym. True beauty is found in a woman who fears the Lord and lives only for Him and His glory!
Reading the Bible Decreases the Likelihood of Believing False Teaching. “God helps those who help themselves”, “Live your truth”, “Follow your heart”, “Good Karma/ Bad Karma”, “My place of Zen”… Although these phrases may seem to be “spiritual”, they ARE NOT scriptural, or according to the Bible. So they are lies! In fact these phrases are described in the Bible:
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 NIV
Not only are they lies, they are deadly to your spiritual life and relationship with God. You cannot mix God’s truth with the world’s lies. They are False Teaching! With so many ideologies in the world and so many paths a person chooses from to find peace how does a person discern what is truth? The answer to that question is: “Does it line squarely up with scripture?” Jesus spoke of there being two different foundations one can build their life upon, rock or sand. The rock is His Word. Building your life on His Word requires “hearing” His Word- reading, studying, memorizing, talking about, etc. And then practicing- obeying and living your life according to His Word. The sand is the ways of the world around us. We are surrounded by its influence so we hear it, we read about it, we study it, and we talk about it naturally. It requires a choice to deliberately STOP building on the sand- believing the lies, and go to the Rock, Jesus- the Truth! There is no middle ground to build upon. We cannot build on Rock and sand and think our house will stand. If we truly know the Bible, we will not embrace false teaching and be deceived with lives left in ruin!
“”Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”” Matthew 7:24-27 NIV
The religious people of Jesus time were upset because His disciples weren’t following their man made religious rules. They had a lot of them: certain ways to wash your hands, certain things to eat, how to give gifts to others and classify their gifts.
Jesus told them:
“Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”” Mark 7:13 NIV
It wasn’t their observance of man made laws that God looked at. God looked at what came forth from their hearts.
I’ve heard it said that our hearts are like a well with a bucket. What is deep down inside of that well is what will come up out of that well and that bucketful of good or of “yuck” will splash all over us and the people we are around.
Here’s how Jesus put it:
“He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”” Mark 7:20-23 NIV
The question is, “What is inside of your well?” Are you full of anger, pride, bitterness, evil thoughts? That is the “yuck”of sin that will come up in your bucket. Make no mistake it will splash on everyone around you.
Or is your well in your heart full of Jesus? His Love, His Joy, Peace, Patience, Gentleness, Self-control….? That will come up in your bucket and it will splash on and be the influence of all those around you: your husband, your kids, your friends, your coworkers, your family. It will be refreshing to be near you as you pour out the Good God has put in you!
If it is “yuck” that comes up there is a solution to that, Jesus! Tell Him what is in your heart, ask Him to forgive you and change you. Ask Him to fill you with His good stuff, His love. He is in the business of cleaning out yucky wells, or evil hearts and making them new. That is good news!
Mark 34-37 “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
In my neck of the woods there is an event called Ashes to Beauty Women’s Encounter. It has many powerful moments in a weekend but there is one moment that always leaves an impression in my heart . That moment is when a woman takes a small purple papers she has written on confessing areas of struggle or hurt and walks it to the front of the auditorium where there is room for personal reflection and prayer. There is a large wooden cross with nails right in the center of that area. It is there that she takes that paper and nails it to the cross.
It’s powerful to put to death the areas of our lives that have kept us away from the arms of Jesus. The verses in Mark speak of us not only nailing our hurts, addictions, unforgiveness, etc to the cross. It speaks of us nailing our entire life to the cross. Go all out! 💯. When we “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus” something powerful happens we lose our lives but gain His. It is only when our self will is lost, crucified, that we become fully alive with Jesus life living in us. People may say “I want to live my best life” or “ be the best version of me”. That “best life”, “best version of you” is a life that has been nailed in submission to the cross. And now is resurrected with Jesus life flowing through it! Jesus living in me is the best life!
Your Love 