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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 2, 2020 5:09:58 GMT -7
These chapters of John where Jesus gives final counsel to his disciples are so filled with help for me! For today, John 14:21-23 (ESV)
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Learning from another post... my wife knows of my struggle but not every fall. She does believe "sorry is as sorry does." However, I should pray with her when I'm having a rough time. These are days when we're all shut up in our homes. That can be a good thing, in bringing us together.
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javajake
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Post by javajake on Apr 2, 2020 8:41:33 GMT -7
I have shared in my early posts the dance and experience of sharing with my wife. I now leave it to God. I told her a long time ago if she asks me how I am doing I will tell her honestly. But yes we should pray with our wives. In rough times and good. I fail at this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention SBG.
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 3, 2020 18:09:14 GMT -7
I believe that God's timing is perfect, and that some things are not "coincidental." In his online Bible study on Wednesday, our pastor recommended the book, Future Grace, by John Piper. It reminded me of the fact that I already have that book.
When I dug it out, I realized, from my typical heavy underlining, that I had started to read it and never finished. Starting again from the beginning, I see the author's purpose: to help us grasp the fact that the glory and power and holiness and love, joy, and peace from God totally blow away the allurement and attractiveness of all that Satan has to offer us... in short, the promises of God blow Satan away.
Since the Bible is literally filled with God's promises from one end to the other, God wants us to have a rich supply of ammunition, or whatever we may want to call it, with which to fill our minds in the battle. Living in the present with faith in future grace (God's grace in the next few moments after this one, for example).
The book is NOT short. The author wants to leave us with a very rich supply of promises to lean on.
And so I start the book again. And my underlining is always very heavy. MAY I REMEMBER AND TRUST IN THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION.
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 5, 2020 9:22:33 GMT -7
It's a beautiful day in the (virtual) house of the Lord!!
Sermon was on Romans 12:1-2 - Wow, powerful. Way beyond just not being conformed to this world. GOD transforming me by renewing my mind! So I am brought right back to the Word of God, and as I meditate on it and obey it, God Himself does the transforming.
Our sound guy had any of us who wanted to make a short video to greet the congregation, so this morning he played those. Lots of good humor and fellowship. One member showed how his laptop was sitting on rolls of TP. Our prayer chain is working. We are still one body in Christ. <3 <3
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 6, 2020 10:37:12 GMT -7
Thanks to God, I am doing well, but I also know that I have a pattern of taking a big fall after 3 weeks.
I've had enough of that!!!!
So I open myself up to your advice and counsel. I am reading the book I mentioned above, and it goes deep. And it will take a while to finish it!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2020 20:21:26 GMT -7
Thanks to God, I am doing well, but I also know that I have a pattern of taking a big fall after 3 weeks. I've had enough of that!!!! So I open myself up to your advice and counsel. I am reading the book I mentioned above, and it goes deep. And it will take a while to finish it! Do I detect some anger? If so, it's about time! Take that anger and direct it at this sin. Get fed up and fight! Become determined. So much so that the anger wells up and causes you to say no to all inappropriateness that comes into your mind or eyes. Let that anger turn you from it and towards God. Slay it until dead and then make it into minced meat.
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KevinesKay
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Post by KevinesKay on Apr 7, 2020 4:53:52 GMT -7
So I open myself up to your advice and counsel. For me, I had to accept that I needed more help. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If nothing changes, nothing changes. So I have to accept the help that God is providing me. I have to get into His word. I have to show up on the forum. I have to get on my CR Zoom meeting each week. I have to call my phone buddies. I have to set good boundaries in my life. And if that doesn't work, I need to get even more help. That could be counseling, rehab, another meeting, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2020 5:32:21 GMT -7
Something that I have noticed from people that have sin addiction in their lives...which includes me...is that they try to overcome on their own and fail. They have that I can do it myself attitude even if they think they are leaning on the Father. We can't do it ourselves. We have to use the tools that Christ provided. When we use those tools, we succeed. What are the tools? The Word, prayer, worship, and praise. To use the tools we have to speak them aloud. If you notice even God had to speak aloud to bring everything into existence. You can't just silently say scripture or worship. You have to get noisy. We need to build up our faith muscle so that we can withstand and fight temptations. Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV) 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. How do we hear if we don't speak aloud? So start speaking to yourself. Exercise and build up your faith. What did Jesus do when he was tempted? He answered. He spoke aloud. How did He answer? With the Word! He gave us the template to use in our own lives. Matthew 4:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV) Satan Tempts Jesus 4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
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javajake
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Post by javajake on Apr 7, 2020 12:15:48 GMT -7
So I open myself up to your advice and counsel. For me, I had to accept that I needed more help. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If nothing changes, nothing changes.So I have to accept the help that God is providing me. I have to get into His word. I have to show up on the forum. I have to get on my CR Zoom meeting each week. I have to call my phone buddies. I have to set good boundaries in my life. And if that doesn't work, I need to get even more help. That could be counseling, rehab, another meeting, etc. This. What Kevin said. The definition of insanity. Day 30 today for me SBG. I know what ya mean. Had a couple crave temptations but by God's grace I just let them pass. Not acting out but the battle shifts to my mind and wandering eyes. One thing at a time. One day at a time. Keep pressing forward brother!
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javajake
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Occupation: retired
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Post by javajake on Apr 7, 2020 12:26:28 GMT -7
Something that I have noticed from people that have sin addiction in their lives...which includes me...is that they try to overcome on their own and fail. They have that I can do it myself attitude even if they think they are leaning on the Father. We can't do it ourselves. We have to use the tools that Christ provided. When we use those tools, we succeed. What are the tools? The Word, prayer, worship, and praise. To use the tools we have to speak them aloud. If you notice even God had to speak aloud to bring everything into existence. You can't just silently say scripture or worship. You have to get noisy. We need to build up our faith muscle so that we can withstand and fight temptations. Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV) 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. How do we hear if we don't speak aloud? So start speaking to yourself. Exercise and build up your faith. What did Jesus do when he was tempted? He answered. He spoke aloud. How did He answer? With the Word! He gave us the template to use in our own lives. Matthew 4:1-11 New King James Version (NKJV) Satan Tempts Jesus 4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.Amen Amy! I want to do this! Very good point. Thanks
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2020 6:31:54 GMT -7
I remember visiting my aunt and she always played worship music all day throughout the house. She had anxiety and I do too. I sometimes play the audio Bible and pray and meditate on Jesus’ words
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 9, 2020 4:56:59 GMT -7
Last night's (online) Bible study... all about joy! We are even commanded to rejoice! His assignment for us... read Romans 8 every day this week. v. 15 - "for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" -from ESV
This morning, Proverbs chapter 8. To find a life of happiness, we must seek wisdom. Wise people will hate sin and choose paths far from it.
I am encouraged to go through today filled with joy!
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 10, 2020 5:30:12 GMT -7
Good Friday - we remember Jesus' suffering the rejection by the Father and the horrible physical pain of the cross.....that we may be forgiven.
Thank you Jesus, and may I learn to live for You each and every day.
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Post by savedbygrace on Apr 11, 2020 8:17:18 GMT -7
Horrible battle today; I can't seem to make it past 21 days
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2020 11:03:42 GMT -7
Don't get into condemnation. Reach out to the Lord and continue on. If you haven't checked out the video I posted, give it a listen. It might just help you get past that hurdle.
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