“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
“Homily Grits Devotional” http://www.homilygrits.com/
Isaiah 40:31… But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew theirstrength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and notfaint. (NKJV)
Today I write for Christians, who for any number of reasons, have taken their eyes off of the Lord…and have lost the power and the strength that the Holy Spirit residing with-in them is capable of providing…
I pray that any Christian who has placed their wealth, their spouse, their family, their job, their friends, their possessions, their personal pleasures, or any other god ahead of God, in their lives…will understand that living on their own strength is an absolute waste of valuable time, energy, and resources… God has purposely given the new believer the Holy Spirit as a lifelong, live-in Helper (Comforter), who will provide a multitude of blessings and support…if His wayward children would only get out-of-the-way and let God do what is best for their lives…
It is so easy for me now; with 20/20 hindsight…to see how easily Satan or our own flesh can take back the control from the Holy Spirit, after God has graced us with salvation… I lost the better part of 7 years after my salvation, with no peace and no joy…because I had admittedly, somehow taken back control from the Holy Spirit…
My last day of writing ties right into today’s, because it spoke of how it might take years for the new Christian to mature, to become successful at putting on the Lord Jesus Christ each and every day, before they leave the house…Romans 13:11-14… I gave details about the need for the Christian to put on God’s whole set of spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11-20); and also to totally submit their life to the Lord (James 4:7-8), to provide the one-two punch needed to have any chance of keeping Satan at bay, and our own flesh under control… But this whole process of progressive sanctification can’t start in earnest, until the Christian puts God and His will, ahead of the Christian’s own self-will, wants, needs, and desires…
You can find my previous days writing @ www.Godsmanforever.wordpress.com by typing 11/04/2013 into the search window…
I was a youth group leader at my previous church for a number of years… I can now see the progression of how the lives of this younger generation can be both good and bad, depending on which teens decided to continue to live their lives for Christ… The teens (now young adults), that have continued to live for the Lord, have turned out (for the most part), remarkably well (at least in outward appearance)… But the teens that graduated high school, that are not now living for the Lord…have lives that in many cases are riddled with one problem after another… This applies to Christian adults as well, that have turned away from the Lord…
Once a person has been graced by God with salvation…they become God’s property, not their own…1 Corinthians 6:20… For you were bought at a price; therefore glorifyGod in your body and in your spirit, whichareGod’s. (NKJV)
When God’s children depart from living for the Lord, God promises to chastise and even scourge the one’s He loves (as explained in detail, in…Hebrews 12:5-11)…to bring sinning Christian back into submission to God’s will and God’s ways… Here is the link for this most important teaching about God’s promises to correct His sinning children… http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb12%3A5-11&version=NKJV;KJV
I have seen several ex-youth group wayward, sinning young adults loose jobs…one had a car rear ended…one a car that burst into flames, and was totaled…and a number of other more than normal car problems; along with obvious anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness, and other emotional problems that go along with a heart that has lost (or never had) the love of Christ… Only God knows for sure if these persistent problems are from God to get the attention of His sinning children… But I can personally attest to the loss of God’s supernatural peace that goes beyond all mortal understanding (Philippians 4:6-7), and a loss of joy in my own life…because I took back control from the Holy Spirit…
I have seen young adults that are living for the Lord; possess a God given peace and a joy that can only come from a Christian who is filled with the love of Christ… Once Christians taste and see that the Lord is good…Psalm 34:8-10…and understand that God promises to always do things for good to those who love Him…Romans 8:28…they should realize that always trying to obey the Holy Spirit, should be a desire, and not a chore…
But for God’s rebellious children, who won’t allow the Holy Spirit to direct their lives…well…sometime God lets them crash and burn, so to speak…until they finally realize the hard way, that listening to the Holy Spirit really always is the best way to receiving God’s richest blessings, and His help at opening doors in the life of His obedient children that they could not open themselves…
I will close with scripture written by the Apostle Paul, with a prayer for the Ephesians…explaining the power of the Holy Spirit, who can doexceedinglyabundantlyaboveall that we ask or think…
Ephesians 3:16-20… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through HisSpirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 toknow the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to doexceedinglyabundantlyaboveall that we ask or think, according to thepower that works in us, (NKJV)
Why would anyone believe that they are wiser than God (the Holy Spirit), living with-in all born again believers…just waiting for the humble child of God to submit their lives to Him ??
Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word would wake-up Your redeemed children, who are missing out on all the promises and the opportunities that You would provide them…if they would only submit their lives to You… I pray Lord, that hearts and lives would be filled to overflowing with the love of Christ…and that Your peace and Your joy would replace the doom and gloom of Your wayward children, who turn their lives back over to You… I pray for this fullness of Christ in all of our lives, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills
God's group 
Although not applicable as a proof to bolster the idea given in the sentence in the blog re: tests being from God, the story of Job would be applicable as scriptural proof of the truth of the James passage referenced, i.e, chapter 1:13-15.
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In light of scripture such as James 1:13-15:
“Let no man say when he is tempted (i.e., tested), I am tempted (i.e., tested) of God: for God cannot be tempted (i.e., put to the test) with evil, neither tempteth (i.e., tests) he any man:
But every man is tempted (i.e., tested), when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
I wonder if the idea expressed in the sentence above in the blog, “Only God knows for sure if these persistent problems are from God to get the attention of His sinning children…” may need to be more closely examined.
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Sam, we know God won’t tempt us, but for sure He allows Satan to tempt us as we have seen in the Book of Job…
Thanks for the thoughts !!
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I’m not understanding how the story of Job would be applicable to this discussion. Satan was not testing Job, he was testing God.
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