Be Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only

Posted by izonprize

BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY, DECEIVING YOURSELVES.

This passage has meant a lot to me today. I am once again reminded to not respond out of anger or pain in the midst of a very unjust, ungodly and fiery trial.  This passage has greatly encouraged me...to remain soft, to continually turn the other cheek, to allow God to be the Just Judge, to remain steadfast in faith and to KNOW that The battle is the Lord's.  My response should never be a reflection of the enemy's behavior, but rather like Christ, who knew how to entrust his life to the one who saves Him.  This is a difficult and DAILY surrender but I know the refining process will produce His reflection.  When anger rises, I KNOW to ask myself, "Who or what are you angry with? And Why?" Then, I can ask, "What do You briber will happen if you are no longer angry?" And this will help me uncover any lies I am believing.  The next step is to let that anger go and see what God wants me know in prayer.  He always shows up!  He is faithful.  So I press on.  I pray you, in the midst of your own fiery trials, will as well!

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

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WHEN HE WALKS AWAY

Posted by izonprize

When your husband, pastor or church leader abandons the faith and walks away from you, the Church, his family and God to pursue the things of this world, there are some things you will need to accept, know, lay down, and fully believe, in order to find healing.    
  1. CHRIST IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH.  Nothing has changed.  God is still your Leader, follow Him.  Either you have followed a man, or you have followed Christ.  Choose this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we will follow the Lord Jesus. 
  2. ACCEPT THE FACT THAT ANYONE CAN REJECT CHRIST AND THEN, MOVE ON  Just because a person carries a title of minister, pastor, teacher, etc,  doesn't mean they will remain faithful or committed.  Stop asking "Why?" Or "How could this happen?", and accept it. Denying the facts only delays your healing.  Anyone can choose to walk away at anytime.  No one is exempt.  Acceptance paves the way for forgiveness. 
  3. FORGIVENESS BRINGS LIFE TO YOU.  You will have a tendency to want to hate or be angry.  All this does is put you in a position to painfully and vainly follow the one who betrayed you.  Through forgiveness, you release them to God for His righteous judgment and let go of your rights to be right.  Their sin, although causing many innocent ones pain, is still sin against God and God alone (Psalm 51).  God will not be mocked and as a man sows, so he will reap.  Vengeance is the Lord's, so lay down yours.  Those who have been forgiven much, love much.  
  4. LOVE ANYWAY.  Remember Christ, He is your example.  There is nothing you have experienced that Jesus didn't experience.  There is no pain that He cannot sympathize with.  On the day He died for every sin, He saw this day would come into your life, and He paid the highest price.  You may be surprised, but He is not.  Jesus, as your example, was betrayed with a kiss by the closest of friends, for a few pieces of silver.  He was mocked, beaten, laughed at and publicly exposed.   But no matter what it physically and emotionally cost Him personally, he loved them anyway.  He laid down his life willingly.  No one took his life from him.  It was a gift.  Undeserved and trampled underfoot, but nevertheless, a gift of God's grace.  You will never be able to scrape together what it will take to forgive and love the one who betrayed you.  That love is heavenly minded and can only come from the Spirit within you.  When you release them into God's hands, you let yourself go free.  Forgiveness doesn't mean they get a "get out of jail free card"; it does means you do.  Unforgiveness and bitterness is the worst kind of prison.  As you forgive others so God forgives you.  Love covers a multitude of sin.  Love never fails.  
  5. DON'T LOOK BACK; YOU AREN'T GOING THAT WAY.  Regret is not your friend.  Stop rehearsing the past and move forward.  God knows the plans he has for you: plans to bless and prosper you; plans to give you a future and a hope.  No one can thwart God's plans for your future.  He is an expert at making all things work together for your good because you love Him and you walk according to His ways.  He will withhold no good thing from those who love him and walk uprightly.  You will see the salvation of the Lord because His banner over you is love.  There is nothing too hard for the Lord.  Grieving may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.  There is a time to grieve and there is a time to put away grieving.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.  Have a confident expectation of something good to come.  God is not a man that He would lie.  He will never leave you or forsake you.  With men, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible.  Man will fail you.  Man will leave you.  Man will forsake you.  But God will remain faithful.  His love endures.  Your story is still being written.   God holds the pen.  Trust Christ. 

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