“The View of my Heart”

“So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” 

Galatians 5:16

 

In this passage, Paul is speaking the truth to the Galatian Christians. That truth applies to us as Christians, even today. He says to the believers not to waste their freedom in Christ on serving their own self, “flesh” and selfish desires. Instead, he has told those free in Christ to serve each other in love a life of self-sacrifice lived out in response to god’s love for us.

 

Have you ever been in a mindset spiritually where your reason, because of pain or sufferings, makes seeing one picture of Faith twice, overlapping and leaving you disoriented? Thinking I need an all God’s creatures’ minute, but having feelings of spiritual emptiness. Wondering what happed to my love of truth and commitment to the Word of God. Where has it gone. So much like a trance questioning, what is the God honoring move? God knew it would happen and has given us a lot of helpful advice in His Word. 

 

Sing the following Lyrics:

 

All God's creatures got a place in the choir
Some sing low and some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,
Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

 

James warns that we can be double-vision or double-minded (literally, “double-souled”) in our understanding and relationship to God. When we pray or think about the Lord, does a competing thought or picture enter your mind, such as a lust for money or distaste over God’s intervention in our lives. Suddenly, a real contest arises over which vision we prefer. Then we have doubts, and doubts have a way of multiplying, producing a double-minded soul. This is a serious challenge to our faith. 

 

As much as we view that spiritual emptiness from day one of our journey of faith until the very last day, we (the righteous) must live by faith. Whether we are brand-new followers of Christ or seasoned, mature believers who have walked with the Lord for many years, we must trust God “from start to finish” and rely on His mighty power—the power of the gospel—to change our lives and the lives of those we encounter.

 

By its nature, sin is never satisfied. It demands more and more that makes us rebellious against God. As we speak of the sin nature, we refer to the fact that we have a natural inclination to sin; given the choice to do God’s will or our own, we will naturally choose to do our own thing. Which causes our feelings of double-minded emptiness—possibly? Or how we feel physically which impacts how we feel spiritually. The sin of apathy toward God or sluggishness in our daily lives need never be truly so because all who are born again have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit the moment they believed in Jesus. So, the key to overcoming spiritual emptiness is to “fill up” with the help of the Holy Spirit. Maybe that sounds obvious enough, but how exactly does one do that?

 

It is done by conquering the enemy within, we must yield to the Holy Spirit: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The power to win does not come from within us, as we are just jars of clay; rather, “this all-surpassing power is from God” (2 Corinthians 4:7).  

 

Jesus spoke of this danger, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”. Matthew 6:24, This is double-​mindedness, and it blows cold air on a heart aflame. Which is so impossible. Those who try to love both will become unstable in all their ways. If someone struggles with being double-minded, he or she should read, study, and memorize the Word, for it is the Word of God that produces faith (Romans 10:17). And he or she should pray for faith. God freely gives what is good to those who ask Him (Luke 11:9-12), and it’s good to ask for an increase of faith (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24). 

 

If our trust in God is going to grow, we have to learn to step out in faith, moving out of our comfort zone and taking chances goingfrom faith to faith echoing a progressive, daily development of faith “from one degree of faith to another” akin to the “ever-increasing glory” of 2 Corinthians 3:18.

 

 If we believe that God will sustain us for that day, we can be free to carry out His will, regardless of the consequences. Whenever we face temptations, God will always provide a way out so that we will not be overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). We need to look for that way out, and praise God when we find it. First Peter 1:7 says He will use trials to test our faith and to make us stronger Christians; we will be given much honor if we can stand strong and not waver. “Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news – the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17).  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). 

 

God Bless You and This Ministry!

 

 

 

 

 

“Self-Sabotage”

“love your neighbor as yourself” is not a command to love yourself. It is natural and normal to love yourself—it is our default position. There is no lack of self-love in our world. The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is essentially telling us to treat other people as well as we treat ourselves. Scripture never commands us to love ourselves; it assumes we already do.

“Many seek the favor of a ruler but it is from the Lord that one gets justice”. Proverbs 29:26

What does favor and Judgment have similar in this proverb? What sense of judgment do you feel? My first thought is, it’s not punishment but a fair and right treatment. We natural humans love friends in high places, for they /we think that will be an advantage when in need. But promotion, prosperity, and protection are from the Lord. His favor far exceeds what any man can do for you. Trust in the Lord!

Do you have enemies? Vengeance is His; He will repay (Rom 12:19). Are your cares too heavy? He will bear them for you (1 Pet 5:7). Are you lonely? He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:6). Do you have needs? He knows them and will supply (Matt 6:25-33). Are rulers oppressing you? He is higher than they (Eccl 5:8). Are you afraid? He will hide you in His pavilion and protect you from your enemies (Ps 27:1-6).

I use to wonder during times of trial,” if the power that be”, would be my personal friends, might they help me a little with my spiritual, moral, physical and intellectual growth. What would that look like?

A true business adage says, it’s not what you know; it’s who you know? Hum. Once being a natural man, one who regarded and nurtured the victimology mindset, I thought it would be better to allow the devil to convince me of this foundation of victimology approach, which I call, “The articles of secular Faith” and adhere to the following: you are strange fruit hanging from a different tree, wondering and loss, forever trapped in the slavery frame of mind and can only say “yes to it” and hoping with time, the echoes of racism die and go away, “not so naive”. Putting my trust in man’s victimhood lectures and expect them to listen to another voice. Can I fight my way free? Or would it be better to allow the devil to convince me even more, that’s my entrapment and I can’t triumph and survive only if I put my total faith in man?

This article of secular faith promotes the idea that man does not need God or put him first. Religion is nothing but a relic of the past, teaches that there are no objective or absolute truths defining right and wrong. Its intent is to deprive something of its moral character, its spiritual influence and significance. We fight it by controlling our thoughts (Philippians 4:8), practicing Christian virtues (2 Peter 1:5-6), guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:18-20, and keeping good company (1 Corinthians 15:33).

But the truth is, God exists, and we do need Him. Despite this claim, the Bible is God’s truth (John 17:17). As believers living in a worldly society, we must “become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” Philippians 2:15

You see their abilities are limited; their judgment is distorted; they are often fickle; and frequently are too busy to care about your plight because they are chasing “self”. But the better truth is this: it’s not who you know on earth; it’s who you know in heaven! Knowing God and walking with him will do more for you in all parts of life. Psalm 75:6-7 The Lord dispenses perfect equity and justice to all men. So, trust the lord and seek him daily.

Colossians 3:23-25 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” In essence, this is the Christian work ethic. We are commanded to put forth our best efforts, to work from our heart and soul at whatever we do. We are accountable to God and stewards of the gifts He has given us. Our work flows out of our gratefulness to Him.

The only Ruler you should seek favor from is Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He holds your life now and your destiny in this world and the next in His hands. His approval and blessing are far more important than anyone else’s, no matter how powerful they might be. Obey Him today, and seek His blessing by obedience and prayer.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Angry Inside”

“When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beck, and be silent”. Psalm 4:4

Is anger sinful? No, though it can certainly lead to sin. The above scripture depicts anger springing form anxiety, which proves especially troublesome on sleepless nights. The psalm prayer suggests that, rather than venting your worry in outbursts against others, you should examine your own heart.

As I read God’s word, learning that in this life we will never be as close to God as we ought to be or desire to be. Because of our Sin. So, my question is, “What am I loving so much right now that my heart is moved to feel angry? “If you ask that question, it maybe because many, many times the thing you’re defending is your ego, your pride or your self-esteem; and not understanding that God will never fail us, so that we can Trust and Forgive others.

” Leaving me with the help of the Holy Spirit, this thought, “Have a Life of obedience.” “If you Love me keep my Commandments”.

The new man may, get angry, but he does not sin. The new man knows, how to let go of his wrath, thus giving opportunity to the devil. The devil’s work is to accuse and divide the family of God, and sow discord among then. When we harbor anger in our heart, we do the devils work for him. 

The observable explanation to jumbled love is tidy that love. But we can’t flip a switch for that. We can’t just stop loving one entity wrongly to start loving the most lovable object rightly — that is, unless we’re strengthened by the Spirit to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Ephesians 3:14-19 

We have all live through anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts out as an innocent feeling, it can quickly grow into something critical that’s hard to manage.   

But with God’s help, we can learn how to deal with our feelings, walk in His peace and grace.   

I’ll admit, years ago I pretty much did and said anything I felt like. I have a pretty strong personality, so if you said something to upset me, there was a good chance I would let you know about it with bad intentions and incredible meanness.  All the while, brushing off my rude behavior by saying “just kidding” even though knowing I was not joking.  Why?  Was its self-center ness or no regard for others? You see as a young man born decades during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement; I saw victimhood as my defining element of my existence. I used anger to fight this fear of disenfranchisement that fueled my anti-social behavior. 

Do anger people have a sense of fulfillment by being mean, and engaged in mean behavior, to gain attention and power? Maybe or do they confuse respect with fear, believing that they will gain respect by mistreating others. Who has the control the weak or the powerful? A plaguing of my immature childish mind, of yesterday servitude in mind. but now my conscious eye’s view, victimology as not a spectator sport, but as an enlightening tragedy.

“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well? “’ (John 5:6). How easy can it be for a victim mentality to creep in? 

The first thing we can see here is that Jesus knew that this man did not get sick a week ago. This disease had gripped this man for most of his life. One thing Jesus could know is that someone who has a disease for a long time can end up wrapping their identity around their disease. What comes against us can end up becoming a part of our identity if we are not discerning.

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”.  

2 Corinthians 12:10

Thank God, over time He changed me through His Word and helped me begin to manage my emotions through the power of His Holy Spirit.  “Anger is not a sin—it is what you do with it that becomes sin.”  

I learned how to operate in self-control, which means I didn’t always say everything I wanted to say. Now, that’s Free from being dumb!

The Bible says, When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

These verses don’t say, “Don’t get angry” or “If you ever get angry.” They say, “When [you are] angry.”

point of not being able to control yourself “and do not give the devil a foothold”. Ephesians 4:27

Stay Cool, Calm & Collected.

 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to take every thought captive into the obedience of Christ before it becomes a stronghold in our mind. In other words, we can choose what we are going to think and dwell on.   

So, when you feel yourself getting upset, the sooner you say “No!” to those thoughts and feelings, the better. Instead of letting the anger control you, you can pray something like:   

“God, please help me. I know being upset is not going to get me anywhere. This person hurt my feelings and that was wrong, but I’m not going to act on this. With Your grace and strength, I’m going to control myself, and I’m going to trust You to take care of the situation.”   “Do you really want to be healed?

We cannot control how others act or respond, but we can make the changes that need to be made on our part. Overcoming a temper is not accomplished overnight. But through prayer, Bible study, and reliance upon God’s Holy Spirit, ungodly anger can be overcome. We may have allowed anger to become entrenched in our lives by habitual practice, but we can also practice responding correctly until that, too, becomes a habit and God is glorified in our response.

I want to encourage you to forgive those who have hurt you. Let go of any angry feelings you’re holding on to and place those situations in God’s hands as we join Jesus of his mission, with the mindset of a rescuer. God is bigger than our emotions. 

God Bless You and This Ministry!

   

“Blowin in the Wind”

 “When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.” Psalm 4:4

Our Lord tells us, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). What does that mean? This statement is full of meaning and yet is subject to misunderstanding especially when you are gloomy. We not only have to redefine our notions of the word blessed, but also have to understand the puzzling phrase “poor in spirit”, that blows in the wind.

“Poor in spirit” means you recognize your poverty before God. It’s an attitude toward yourself that says you know and affirm that you haven’t lived the life to which God has called you and that you’re incapable of doing so now. 

Sometimes it takes a song to get us to meditate on God and have nothing to fear.  My objective here is to help you think about God as I did when I first heard the song, “Blowin in the Wind” by Bob Dylan. At the time my thoughts were non-spiritual, treating it as reading biblical verses in a place full of rush hour traffic, roaming around with no obedience. 

Here I was, in the midst of a bitter depressing place, Allen House, an orphanage in Cincinnati, Ohio, sitting in frustration. Sometimes we draw parallels between dated situation and the struggle we are having while in the airstream of our loving Father, screaming, “Can we find peace”?

I was experiencing a moment sensing some kind of presence – that God was near, especially in my heart and mind? Thinking, “fear of people is unnecessary if you “Trust” God. What do you Fear when you are angary?

“A fool give full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back”. Proverbs29:11

Have you prayed for guidance and felt you received it?  Or have you had spiritual experiences of a different kind? To me this was the first mark of a person who walks with God.  But was the ear listening? The supervisor began to play this rock and roll song on his guitar. It was a time in my life where I was questioning everything and struggling with my anger.  Had I given up on living a happy normal life? I was in survival mode. So, the last thing I wanted was a pious experience, I thought.

I was like a restless piece of paper Chasing in the pointless of the wind, things at that time which do not have eternal significance— only chasing problems after the wind. Those youthful utterances as the chorus’s sound, vertebrate back, “just blowing in the wind.” There isn’t much more I can say about this song, except the following verse resonated in my mind even today:

Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” 

Yes, and how many times must a man look up

Before he can really see the sky?

Yes, and how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people, cry?

Yes, and how many deaths will it take ‘til he knows

That too many people have died? It’s in the wind

Is anger sinful? No, though it can certainly lead to sin. This prayer depicts anger springing from anxiety, which proves especially troublesome on sleepless nights. The psalm suggests that, rather than venting your worry in outbursts against others, you should examine your own heart. 

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) Any pursuit that does not have as its aim the furtherance of God’s plan is merely chasing after the wind (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“In your anger do not sin”^: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” Ephesians 4:26 

The new man may get angry, but he does not sin. The new man knows how to let go of his wrath, thus giving opportunity to the devil. The devil’s work is to accuse and divide the family of god, and sow discord among then. When we harbor anger in our heart, we do the devils for him. We have all experienced anger at some point in our lives, and it can be a real problem. Though it starts as a harmless feeling, it can quickly grow into something dangerous that’s hard to control.

In a world where personalities materialize as big and God is often regarded as a prop on the stage of our own performance that’s, all about me. People who are poor in spirit know that they’re a small blip on the radar screen of eternity. They know God is wonderful and awe-inspiring in His holiness. They know He owes them zilch and they see that, even if viewed at their best, they’re unworthy servants who completely depend on His mercy.

Meditating on God’s awesomeness greatly affects our ability to be poor in spirit. But this Beatitude, Matthew 5:3, offers something else that should humble us: the promise of heaven. Interestingly, that’s a promise for the present. All the other blessings promised in the Beatitudes are future promises. Take a look:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
MATTHEW 5:4-6

God wants you to speak His word to your own ears, and as you do, your faith arises, “He will restore my soul”; “He is my provider” … Learn to say what God says: in your mind, in your life, and in your world. And as you confess His word, it embeds in your heart instead of Blowing in the Wind! 

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Unusual Logic”

Folks, do you assume you recognize what Christianity is all about? But then are your assumptions based on unusual logic accurate? Logic is math with ideas instead of numbers. It is a way of identifying the relationships between ideas. So, "Is God logical?" To interpret this question. One is to ask whether or not belief in God or the idea of God is logical. The other is to ask if God Himself is a logical being. The answer to both is, “A hard Yes, God is logical,” for similar reasons.

Logic is one of the natural laws God put into place at the creation of the universe. First and foremost, God acts in a logical way: He plans, communicates, discusses, and acts. God even speaks of “reasoning” with human beings (Isaiah 1:18). He distinguishes between truth and untruth, a core aspect of basic logic (John 7:18). God does not always act in ways human beings would desire, but this does not mean His actions are “illogical. “God created mankind with a mind and the ability to reason. Being a creation of God, logic is a good thing which, when used properly, can point us toward God. Unfortunately, it is easy to use logic incorrectly without empathy.

If you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures-then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God”.  Proverbs 2:3-5

Society will tell you that you should always make logical decisions. All decisions should be based on fact, on reason, on thinking, but not on emotion, they argue. I don’t completely disagree. But sometimes logic is only part of the equation. 

Once during a bible study, the question was asked,” DO ALL RELIGIONS LEAD TO GOD”?

Well now, thinking about the logic of this question, I thought,” Can I go into a phone booth and dial any phone number and get home? No, there’s only one number that’ll get me home. I could be sincere, but I could be sincerely wrong. The truth is, all roads don’t lead to Rome and all religions don’t lead to God”. You see, it all depends on which direction you take. Jesus said this: 

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). I’m betting my life on the fact that He was right because I ‘Trust’ Jesus and he knows more about it than I do.

 I thought to myself how could I view this only, logically, and see the truth plainly without clouding the issue with religious jargon or rules; without the heart being involved? The truth is, most people are not going to be significantly influenced by just logic to believe something contrary to their convictions. Usually, sentiment trumps logic. And, although neither Jesus nor the apostles were strangers to logic, it was not their primary tool.

Do you look at things with the Heart as well with logic”! What do you mean? The answer to the magnitude of the role of the heart in our decision making is this. Massive. It is a big role in our decisions, whether we want them to or not.  Where are those thoughts coming from? I mean where are those actions coming from? Well, they are coming out of the abundance of the heart. 

So, my assumption from this is not that we hold back our minds at the door when we enter the community of wisdom, like: Oh, logic doesn’t matter here, I have some emotions to deal with. No, that is not where I am going. But that we recognize that every result, the ones that God reveals to us by his word; every decision are an intricate response of heart, hand and the spirit of the mind. And that is okay. Because it seems to be a lot of concern that if emotions are involved that might mess things up. We are to be renewed in both. When Peter says to be "ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15), he didn’t mean to start with pure reasoning, for the existence of God. He meant to be ready with the story of our own relationship with God and the Biblical hope that has as its foundation faith in God.

The logic faculties are not perfect and the heart filled faculties are not perfect. And neither is useless. When the mind has done what it can do in discerning the pros and the cons of a situation that is when the heart comes in. That is what you should do as an example, weighs, the pros and cons of job possibilities and by all means spouse, who you are going to marry and so on, weighing the possibilities with your mind as the psalmist says, however, “Delight yourself in the Lord and the Lord will give you the desires of your heart.” 

But equally convincing is the "firsthand evidence" of the Christian life. We are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14); the darkness may not like the light, but it cannot deny its existence. “In your Christian modeling show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8). 

So, when you have done all the logic weighing you can; renew your mind deeply that is centered on delighting in God, therefore, those desires that go up, they are not unimportant. They should be paid attention to as they accord with God’s will committing our hearts to God: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Truly our God is an awesome God...unchanging, eternal, unlimited in power, in majesty, in knowledge, in wisdom, in love, in mercy, and in holiness. May God help us to honor Him using both logic and the heart with dependence and trust in Him through the next “crisis” or decision we face, for He is a “very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). 

“Come now, let us reason together,”    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,    they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

God Bless You And This Ministry!

“Arrogance, Wears Thin”

The “me first” attitude ends up in self-destruction but when we surrender to God, all of our needs will be met.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5

Let me ask you a question, when was the last time you felt down”?” You just feel life is not all it should be during this time with the virus, with that discouragement that comes upon us. You might be feeling right now, those days and periods where nothing goes right. When you feel like just relinquishing or kicking your dog, ignoring your responsibilities. 

The question is which way is up when you are feeling down? Do you decide to give up? OR do you determine to get up on your own energy or do you look for a lift up from God? You see in one sense this is a crazy way to think about it. We all have what I call a hitchhiker heart, we are all in a need of a lift. You see some of us try to lift ourselves by our own bootstraps’. This might work for a time but in the end, we need something more than that We are desperate for something greater than that. When we feel a weight in our hearts, we need a lift, one that only God can give. Giving up only makes things worst. And determination on our own to get up will eventually wear thin. 

You ever watch in the Olympics those weight lifter that hoist literally hundreds and hundreds of pounds. You look at them and you can see the strain of just doing that for only a few moments. They couldn’t live their life doing that. We got some weights on our heart from doing that. You might be able to lift it seemly for a few moments but then you have to drop it. Who is strong enough to shoulder the burdens of our hearts? God is, God is. So, you might be thinking, why doesn’t he lift the weight that’s on my heart right now that’s been on my heart lately? 

Here are some simple directions from God about how he lifts the weight on our heart. How he lifts us up as his people. Now, before you think he has not done it lets look at the directions what he tells us to do in our everyday lives. First let’s look at how God lifts us out. First you ask him to lift you out then you ask him to lift you up. TO be lifted up you first have to be lifted out of some things in life. There’s something powerful about the atmosphere we all live in. It either can brings us down or lifts us up. 

The simple truth is until you begin to trust God to lift you up out of certain situations your heart will never be lifted up. You see there are certain things in this world that drag us down. In fact, before that even more honestly you must confront this Truth, “think about what about us that drags us down”?  There’s something about this world that drags us down and in us that drags us down. When I/you admit that putting that honestly in front of us I’m ready for God to lift me up. 

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² 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. ³ 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

These verses in James are about all the things you desire a recipe for warfare a battle with god a battle within which addresses jealousy, pride, judgment, and boasting—and he warns us of the damaging effects of these poisons. Praying with no answers? Filled with selfish pride. I want what I want. When you live your life chasing things you want. the strangest things begin to happen. You begin to feel down, and you begin to fight that. If we are honest with ourselves most of our discouragement we can peep within and realize it is because of these selfish desires in our lives. He tells us that we need a humble heart and urges us to focus on responding to God by trusting him with what he’s doing in our own lives, one day at a time. 

You see if I want God to lift me up, I must admit three things about myself: 

·      I have desires that I battle within

·      Secondly, I have to admit I do not ask God

·      And when I do ask, I ask selfishly and follow my own ways

And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’”. Matthew 18:2-4 One quality of children is that they are dependent on others for their well-being. God’s children should share that quality of depending on their loving Heavenly Father for everything they need.

There is no magic formula to make us spiritual giants overnight, no mystical prayer to pray three times a day to mature us, build our faith, and make us towers of strength and confidence. There is only the Bible, the single source of power that will change our lives from the inside out. But it takes effort, diligent, everyday effort, to know the God who controls everything. If we drink deeply of His Word and let it fill our minds and hearts, the sovereignty of God will become clear to us, and we will rejoice in it because we will know intimately and trust completely the God who controls all things for His perfect purpose.

Talk to God and just admit. Prayer: I am selfish. Help me admit this, God where is my life being overwhelmed or controlled by selfish desires right now. We want something! So badly you are going to get it, by knowing how to trust you lord, and there is only one way to know God—through His Word. We need help! Help me to see it so we can set it aside and follow you instead. I ask this father in Jesus name Amen.

God Bless You and This Ministry!