Redeemed!

Redeemed

Let us open our hearts to receive and embrace His glorious gift of grace...freedom, forgiveness, redemption and justification...freely given according to His riches and mercy...never by our own efforts, desires or works.

Praise to The King of Kings!

Romans 3:24
"...and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Romans 9:16
"It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

Ephesians 2:5
"...made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved."

Ephesians 1:7
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

Freedom from Fear

God's immutable Word tells that us He has not given us a spirit of fear. Walking in a state of perpetual fear is bondage; a spiritual battle only conquered through God and His truth.

Reacting to protect ourselves from eminent danger is a healthy fear response. In contrast, being a slave to fear produces crippling hopelessness, doubt and uncertainty...all strongholds of the enemy. False emotions beget a faulty belief system, which robs us of our peace and derails us from our authentic path of freedom.

As with any darkness, a spirit of fear is demolished by light and truth...and that Truth is The Word of God. We must don the Sword of The Spirit...read, believe, absorb and apply The Word. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

Praise The Lord that He has called us into His marvelous light and that He is with us always!

Joshua 1:8-9
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

No Fear In Love

Fear. That is a big one.
—
Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of disappointing, fear of being disappointed, fear of being disliked, of being unaccepted, rejected or hurt, even death… we can go on and on about fear.
—
But, where does fear even come from?
—
When I think about all the times I have feared, or begin to fear, it seems like the one thing I am always tracing it back to is, lack of control.
—
As humans, we are naturally born thinking we have the power to control; but, as we grow, we realize, quick, that we don't; and, naturally, we begin to fear... in fact, it’s those of us that seem to understand this the most, that are often the ones that are doing the most to overcome it; because, in a way, that’s what makes us feel as though we are proving what we subconsciously know to be true, wrong; and, in our minds, our proof is our ability to achieve what we have willed for ourselves to do. We “prove ourselves wrong.” But, of course, that is just false comfort... just like the opposite extreme: feeling safe by doing nothing.
—
What I’m trying to say is this: because we’ve subconsciously realized our powerlessness, we’ve developed fear; and, that fear is what drives us in life. It’s what makes our decisions and directs our thoughts; we, literally, are controlled by fear.
—
So, how do we overcome it?
—
God’s Word says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
—
We must be made “perfect” in love! And, God is love (1 John 4:8)...
—
When we’ve finally come to a place to admit that, ultimately, we have no control, we will finally be at a place to be able to receive the One Who DOES have control; and, being one with Him – God – is being one with The Power Who has ALL control.

_ Katie Armstrong

https://whenfaithleaps.wordpress.com/ 

The Bread of Life

Let us always be grateful and mindful that in the wilderness of famine or the valley of temptation, The Word of God prevails...it is our soul's food...the means by which our Spirit is nourished and sustained.

Let us praise Him for feeding us the manna of Jesus Christ, that we may be spiritually strengthened, supported and fulfilled all the days of our lives.

May we always be hungry for Truth...comforted by His Rod and Staff - His Word and The Holy Spirit...and rejoice in The Bread of Life, forevermore...

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:3)

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

"He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever." (Psalm 111:5)

"I am the bread of life." (John 6:48) Posted by Growing Up In The Word at 5:21 AM No c

Cleansed

Holy and Heavenly Father God,

I pray that today and every day You will partner with me in a thorough examination and cleansing of my heart…reveal, heal and deliver me of all the strongholds I am bound by in my life.

LORD, please expose with Your Truth and Light all the pain, fear, shame, guilt and sorrow that is hidden within dark places of my heart...all the things that prevent me from living a life of freedom, peace and joy that come from a transparent relationship with You.

Father, please show me how to come before You in faith, trust, obedience and submission …and in this exchange, please reveal to me all the lies I have received and believed in my life…partner with me in replacing my deformed belief system with Your Word and Your Truth, which is infallible and endures forever.

Teach me Your Ways, LORD, and show me how to find freedom in forgiveness of self and others…to embrace myself as a new creation...to put away the former things and live each day in the way You designed and ordained long ago...and to see myself through Your eyes, as Your precious child and joint heir with Christ in Your Kingdom of Heaven.

Show me, LORD, how to receive Your Fatherly Forgiveness, Great Grace, Limitless Love and Marvelous Mercy…lead me to bathe in the peaceful, still waters of renewal and sanctification…anoint me with Your Holy Spirit until my cup runs over.

Write a new story on my heart, LORD…one born of The Holy Spirit and guided by the power of Your redemption and restoration...please bless and comfort me with a holy wholeness of healing that is only possible through You, Jehovah-Rapha, my LORD Who Heals.

Abba Father, I praise You for all that You Are, yesterday, today and tomorrow, and pray all these things in the Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ...

Amen.

"Be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."  (Luke 8:48)

True Friendship

Our culture uses the term friendship very loosely. Social networking Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat connect us with scores of “friends” yet many of them we’ve never met, are only acquaintances, and not real or true friends.

Many passages in scripture unveil the meaning of a true friend. They are someone who brings out the best in you, encourages you, exhorts you, who loves and gives unselfishly. They build you up not tear you down.

They listen and speak truth with love and kindness – and when others criticize your, they stand in your defense.

Friendship is never one sided because to have a friend, we must be a friend. Think of your closest friend. Do they reflect attributes of a true friend? Do you?

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 18:24

“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”
Proverbs 17:17

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17

““Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”
Job 6:14

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
Proverbs 27:6

“A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends.”
Proverbs 16:28

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13

Strength to Strength

Lord, I worship You for all that You are. You are my Lord in the good times as well as it difficult; on the mountaintop as well as in the valley. I praise you in times of great blessing as well as in times of great challenge. It is because of You that I can stand a strong, even when I feel weak. For I know that when I am weakest, You show Yourself strong.

I am grateful for YOUR salvation, deliverance, protection, goodness, and blessings in my life every day. I know that everything I have comes from YOU. Because of your great strength, I go from glory to glory and "strength to strength" no matter what happens in my life.

Thank you for your faithfulness to never leave me or forsake me in all seasons of life and giving me the faith to overcome just as you overcame and declared that nothing can separate me from your great love.

I desire to give you glory in all that I do despite the circumstances so that others can see that nothing is impossible for you, my LORD, my GOD, and my KING, for there is no fear in your great love. For your perfect love casts away all fear.

In Jesus, Name, Amen.

“Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10

“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Corinthians 12:10

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Corinthians 12:10

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:37

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] 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.”
Romans 8:38-39

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. John 1 John 4:18