Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

PROBING YOUR OWN HEART

PAUL WITH AQUILA AND PRISCILLA (Acts 18:1-4,18-21,24-28) PROBING YOUR OWN HEART How zealous are you for the truth you know? Is your heart open to truth you do not yet know? BUILDING ON SOME FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS God uses people where they are. Aquila and Priscilla had to leave Rome against their will. Yet, whether in Corinth or Ephesus, they were available and useful to God. In a spiritual sense, Apollos was not yet where he should have been, but God still used him mightily. That is not unusual for God! God moves people to where He wants them. Using an edict from a heathen ruler, God relocated Aquila and Priscilla to where He wanted them next. Then He used Paul to relocate them again. And again in a spiritual sense, God used Aquila and Priscilla to "relocate" Apollos. Though God uses us where we are, that is only the beginning. He continually moves us to where He wants us to be, thus gradually molding us into what He wants us to become. May He find us moldable, teachable, and lead able. God uses people to do His work. Surely Aquila and Priscilla would have preferred to have God get them out of Rome on His own. Surely Apollos would have preferred to have God Himself teach him His ways more perfectly. Yet in each instance, God *did* do the moving and the teaching...using humans in the process. Will you yield to His ways even in this? Even teachers need teachers. The inspired record establishes Apollos as a gifted, effective teacher. The record also shows even he needed those who would teach him!

The Secret

One day, one friend asked another, "How is it that you are always so happy? You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down." With her eyes smiling, she said, "I know the Secret!" "What secret is that?" To which she replied, "I'll tell you all about it, but you have to promise to share the Secret with others." "The Secret is this: I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy. I must depend on God to make me happy and to meet my needs. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches. I have learned most of the time I don't need half of what I think I do. He has never let me down. Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy." The questioner's first thought was, "That's too simple!" But upon reflecting over her own life she recalled how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn't! She thought a better paying job would make her happy, but it hadn't. When did she realize her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, playing games, eating pizza or reading a story, a simple gift from God. Now you know it too! We can't depend on people to make us happy. Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that. Trust HIM! And now I pass the Secret on to you! So once you get it, what will you do? YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too! That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU! But it's not really a secret... We just have to believe it and do it... Really trust God! In everything you do, put GOD first, and he will direct you and crown your effort with success. (Proverbs 3:6)

THE STRENGTH OF SEEING

"And [God] raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).

Do you see yourself seated with Christ in the heavenlies? Paul saw it, and prayed the Ephesians would see it. When the Lord showed me that I was raised together with Christ and was made to sit (past tense) in the heavenly places with Christ, do you think it changed the way I saw the world? Absolutely! No more was I looking at things from "ground level", but from the heavenly realm. Things look decidedly different when viewed from above.

Elijah saw differently, and so he thought, spoke, and behaved differently. So often we try to adopt a certain way of thinking, speaking, and acting in hopes of becoming victorious. If this is your intention then you are already defeated. If victory lies in something you must do then you will never be able to do enough. "Acting spiritual" does not produce victory, for victory is not what I do or do not do: Victory is Christ.

Phariseeism in the new Millinimum

Last night I was informed about a certain website knocking the PDL. Against their warning I visited the site and I quickly saw them for what they are Pharisee's.

According to Answers.com

phar·i·see (făr'ĭ-sē)
n.

1. Pharisee A member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form.
2. A hypocritically self-righteous person.

 

Jesus in MT 23 does not speek kindly of Phariseeism.

 

 The Scripture says you will know them by their fruit, not their religion.

 

Read more on Pharisees here 

 

The spirit of legalism will always kill spiritual life.