FREEDOM IS NO EXCUSE FOR SIN

FREEDOM IS NO EXCUSE FOR SIN Galatians 5:13-15 http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Galatians+5:13-15Dear Father, guardian of the free,May we never use freedom as a pretext for evil or as an excuse forindulging sinful desires.Rather, grant that we, out of love, will make ourselves servantsto one another. For the Lord has taught us that the whole law isfulfilled in the one saying, "You shall love your neighbor asyourself." Keep us from "biting" and "devouring" one another, lestwe be consumed by one another. Encourage and enable me and all mybrothers and sisters in Christ to live by love, your principle offreedom.In the name of Jesus I ask you to preserve my faith in freedom andlove. Amen.

The Epistles

The EpistlesColossians 3-4
Monday: Leviticus 19-21Tuesday: II Kings 16-20Wednesday: Psalms 87-89
Colossians 3
1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
18
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
21
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;
23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Colossians 4
1
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
2
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
3
Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
4
That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
6
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
7
All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
8
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
9
With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
10
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
11
And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13
For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
15
Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
16
And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
17
And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
18
The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

What Are You Willing To Believe God For?Bishop Vashti McKenzie When trouble strikes, what are you willing to believe God for? • When the tapestry of the 21st century is stained with the blood of the innocent and unsuspecting• When our community is raped by unprecedented violence so bitter that bombers chose death over life in suicide attacks• When evil masquerades as good• When the sounds and rumors of war dominate our lives• When too many of our children go off to defend, protect and serve but never come home from foreign soil• When God seems to be silent, troubles rise, hearts ache, minds break and sickness comes without an invitation• When death calls a family member's unlisted telephone number• When ships fail to come in, checks bounce, friends disappoint and families feuds• When members cleave while others leave, pews empty, budgets are short, and bills long• When you can't make ends meet, the way gets dark, load gets heavy; nights become restless, days become nightmaresWhat are you willing to believe God for?• When greed is allowed to wreck the American economy• When distractions take away the seriousness of health care, global warming, war, and jobs going overseas, from public education to prison pipeline, or injustice and fair play in the courtroomWhat are you willing to believe God for?• Hannah wanted to believe God for a baby from a barren womb• The man by the pool of Bethesda wanted to believe God for healing• The blind man wanted to believe Jesus for sight; the lepers wanted to believe God for a cleansing; and the centurion wanted to believe his child would live againAt the core of all that I have mentioned is the most crucial element in our spiritual walk - our faith. What life requires now is more than the average faith, but a radical faith. Radical faith is the total dependence upon God - that becomes supernatural in its working. Radical faith enables you to believe without seeing, go without knowing, do without understanding, trust without wavering, and be secure in uncertainty.It is difficult answering this question without faith: Hebrews 11:6 - says it is impossible to please God without it. Salvation is impossible without faith - for it is by grace through faith that we are saved. Prayers go no further than the ceiling without faith - for we must believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. For faith is the substance of what we hope for, and the evidence of what has yet to arrive.Noah was willing to take God at his word. Faith is seeing things differently, therefore, you believe differently. It is seeing with our spiritual eyes and not our natural eyes. Our natural eyes tells us that all hell has broken lose, nothing is ever going to work out, or it is as bad as it gets. Our spiritual eyes look through the lens of faith that no matter how bad it seems, God is still able to do more abundantly than which we ask. No matter what- all things work together for good to them who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. God spoke the judgment and grace. He articulated the salvation strategy and Noah believed God's word.Are you willing to take God at his word? Are you willing to believe what God's word says about your prayers, salvation, perseverance, blessings, obedience, grace, divine favor, suffering, pain or eternal life? Remember nothing is impossible with God.By faith, what impossible things are you and God going to do today?

CHRIST, THE STUMBLING BLOCK

CHRIST, THE STUMBLING BLOCK Galatians 5:7-12 http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Galatians+5:7-12Dear Father, guarantor of freedom,Help me to run well! Help me not to be hindered from obeying thetruth! Don't let me be persuaded by a viewpoint that is not fromyou, the God who called us to freedom in Jesus!A little leaven leavens the whole lump! Help me keep out even apinch of "slavery" type thinking and religiosity that worshipshuman will.For to preach circumcision (law-keeping as a means ofjustification), is to remove the stumbling block of the cross ofChrist. Help me never to lose sight of the cross, the awful priceJesus paid for my freedom.In the name of Jesus I ask you to preserve my faith in freedom andlove. Amen....

Honoring Your Parents

Honoring Your ParentsBishop Keith Butler Ephesians 6:1-2 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother;" (which is the first commandment with promise;) (KJV)What is the promise that comes along with honoring your father and mother? It will be well with you, and you will live long on the earth. The Amplified translation says it this way: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord [as his representatives], for this is just and right. Honor (esteem, and value as precious) your father and mother..." He did not say to honor them if they were right. Nor did it say to honor, esteem, and value your parents if they were perfect. God said, honor, esteem and value as precious your father and your mother. This is the first commandment with a promise. To honor your parents is to love them. And God's love is unconditional. The kind of love He expects us to exhibit as His children, as believers, is unconditional love even if we had parents who were terrible. Why is this? It is for your own preservation. Verse 3 says, "That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." In other words, your prosperity in the earth is tied to how you treat your parents. When your parents need help, and when they get old, they should not be thrown away like an old shoe in case they get in the way of your life. This is one reason why God expects you not to get into debt. When your parents get old you should be willing to assist them. The Bible said, as a man sows that shall he also reap. You do not know, if Jesus tarries, that you will be old one day and you may need assistance from your children. People wonder why they do what the Bible says, and do not get the blessing. It is because they have not accepted all of the Bible. They picked up certain portions they wanted to pick up. They liked the mo ney cometh part, but not the take care of the parents' part. You have to accept all of God's word.If you will live godly, God will bless your seed and your seed's seed. It says to honor your parents. Obey your parents. If you are a young person, it does not matter whether or not mama understands, do what she tells you to do. Do what your parents tell you to do and honor them, and you will live long and see good days on the earth.Scripture References: Psalm 103:17; Proverbs 13:22; Galatians 6:7

CHILDREN OF PROMISE

CHILDREN OF PROMISE Galatians 4:8-5:1 http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Galatians+4:8-5:1Dear Father,Keep us from turning back to any weak and beggarly things. Help usto live in the glorious freedom brought by the Son of God. LetChrist be born in our souls, even if through great travail. Let himbe the reality of our lives, hour by hour and day by day.Let us live as children of the free woman, the new Jerusalem whichis above, not as children of the bondwoman. Make us the children ofpromise.Since it was for freedom that Christ set us free, let us live inhis freedom.In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen

VERSE:

VERSE: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, andsaid, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son alsomay glorify thee... -- John 17:1 http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=John+17:1&translation=kjvTHOUGHT: John 17 is one of the most moving chapters in all the Bible.Jesus knows he is going to die. He knows he is spending his lastfew hours before his death with disciples who do not understandwhat he is about to do and why he is about to do it. Jesus has twokey goals in mind as he prepares himself, and his disciples, fortheir life ahead without him. He wants them to be one so they canremain strong and influence the world for God. He wants what hedoes to bring glory to the Father. While he faces humiliation andabandonment, his desire is to bless others. We are going to facehardship. What will be our goal? Hmm, no wonder we are reminded tofix our eyes on Jesus and follow his example.PRAYER: Loving Father, I cannot fathom the mysteries of anguish andgrace that touched your heart as Jesus made his way to the Crosswith such honesty and selflessness. Lord Jesus, I cannot thank youenough for leaving me a powerful example of how to endure life'sheaviest burdens. Please make my life a blessing to others and giveme courage to serve and to bless even in times that are hard. InJesus name I pray. Amen.