Blessing and Honor to our God:

July 13th:
Blessing and Honor to our God:
Matthew 7:13-14

"You can enter true life only through the narrow gate.  The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there.  Many people go that way, but the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow.  And the road that leads there is hard to follow.  Only a few people find it."

This reminds us that grace does not dismiss discipleship and mercy does not release us from our need to repeatedly repent.  We must accept the grace that is given to us & truly let Jesus be Lord of our lives.  It's not an either-or decision, its an ALL IN decision and a call from God to receive grace & to follow Jesus as Lord.

In contrast to the narrow gate, the wide gate is the easy way.  It rains on the just & the unjust.  We all face problems in life, but the many on the broad way do not connect the dots, they fail to see the unfolding of God's sovereign rule over our lives.  Maybe they are just not interested in bothering with Gods commands and it leads them to destruction.  Don't follow the crowd please way!  Don't wait for the approval of others to do what is right and just in the eyes of the Lord.  IF YOU FIND YOUR COMFORT WITH THE CROWD, THEN YOU WILL FIND YOUR END WITH THEM AS WELL.

There are only two ways to live.  Which way describes your life?

God gives you the freedom to decide, but as you decide, there are a few things you should know about these two options:  One of them works & the other one does NOT.  One of them feels right and the other one does NOT.  One of them is popular and the other one is NOT.

Robert Frost wrote "The Road Not Take" and said "two roads diverged in wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Jesus is the only way to life, any other path you take will lead to destruction and it will be by your OWN choice.  All other paths lead to death.  Only those who come to Jesus will be saved.

Following Jesus every single day is not easy, but is right.  It will not always feel right because we no longer have complete control over our thoughts, feelings or actions.  We are no longer making instant split second decisions based on comfort.  We now live a life that Jesus governs and would be proud of and that makes the devil very angry.  We now run all our thoughts and concerns through Jesus to make thought out and complete decisions based off of what is right and not what feels good for the moment.  The devil will attack you and try to lure you off course in any way he can.  At times it will seem easier to venture towards what feels okay, but always remember its a trick.  If following Gods way were that simple we would have no destruction.

-Everything you do in life is a choice, that you are in control over, that you make with your own mind.

-Choosing the world means choosing Satan.

-Choosing God's kingdom will mean saying NO to the seduction and enticement of the world & turning AWAY from the temporary pleasure of sin.

-Choosing God's way you will face opposition & persecution, but God always delivers us & promotes us when we trust Him.

-Accept the truth that will give you the power to make a change.

-Make a decision to accept the truth and start removing satan from your life day by day.

-Using others judgment will become confusing.  Believing and relying on Gods word will shed incredible light on every issue.

-When you work with God, he gives you grace to make right decisions & show good judgment.

-Do NOT refuse to give up control to God.

-When faced with day to day life & decisions think about how each option can turn out.  Weigh how God looks at each of those options.  Your brain may not "want" to go straight to what God thinks.  Look at your options not with a human eye but with a biblical eye and ask yourself, "What would Jesus do/say?"

-Choose a path (difficult part) making a good decision actually means making an actual choice.  You may make a mistake and that is okay.  The more we apply these principles to our choices, the better we get at making good decisions that God will be pleased with.

Remember: GOD'S LOVE IS BIGGER THAN OUR MISTAKES
We are all imperfect, sinners, do wrong, screw up and fall off track.

1 John 4:8, "God is Love!"

The enemy will put you in situations to make us doubt the love of God for us:
-Disappointments
-Financial Hardships
-Unanswered Prayers
-Sickness
-Death
-Loss/Grief
-Sadness/Depression

Remember satan is a LIAR!!!

Whatever you face should not be enough, and must be allowed to make you doubt the love of God for you - not even for a second.  Just because things are not smooth sailing does not mean that God has forgotten you or stopped loving you.  His love is Everlasting!!

Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."

-Accept Gods love
-Believe It
-Receive It
-Claim It
-Get Past This Trial
-Wait for His Timing
-Receive His Blessings
-Receive His Peace
-Find His Joy
-Believe in Him
-Trust in Him

Even though you may have to put boards around your heart to get past the storm of life, you will eventually see the sun again.  When the winds are too fast to carry yourself, let God carry you through.  The best comfort and decision you can give yourself is the free gift of Gods love.  To take all the pain & sorrow of the world off your back and simple trust & follow God.

James 1:2-4
My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. ³ You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. ⁴ If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be."

CHOOSE THE PATH THAT BELIEVES IN YOU NOT THE PATH THAT IS SELF-SEEKING.

--Kylie