The Fruit of Discipline

We strive to have discipline in life for many reasons.  Some of which include; exercise, weight management and especially job requirements.  We must discipline ourselves in the Word of God and make it our highest priority.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

To produce a harvest of righteousness we must be trained in the word of God and create an ongoing relationship with Him.  This takes “discipline” on our part.

I have learned that there are many areas of discipline in following God that are valuable for our walk with the Lord.  3 things that stand out with me are; 1. Read the Word, 2. Prayer and 3. Attend a life giving church.

We must read the word of God to know the “Truth”.

God’s Promise

We go through life making many promises to ourselves and to others.  We also have had people make promises to us that sometimes are broken.  This is part of human nature and unfortunately we will face many broken promises that can cause us to lose hope. These types of promises are not like the promise of God.

1 John 2:24-26 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

Webster’s Dictionary

Promise

promise |ˈpräməs|

noun;  a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen

Our failed flesh nature is what causes us to struggle at keeping our promises.  We are conflicted by what is “truth” of God and what is the “lie” of the enemy.  Our temptation is our enemy to broken promises.

Question:  Have you ever broke a promise?  Has anyone broke a promise to you?

Favor, Protection and Wisdom!

When we seek God first, we begin to evaluate what is important in life.  I have learned to pray for 3 things that God made available to us. These 3 things are “Favor”, “Protection” and “Wisdom”. 

When Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin He opened up the portal to the blessing of God into our lives.  It is up to us to seek Him and all that He has for us.  This means we need to replace our fleshly desires for the things of God. 

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

When Jesus was growing He increased in wisdom and favor with God and Men.  When we pray for wisdom we are taping into the unshakable “Truth” of God.  This Godly wisdom is the only wisdom we need to reach a Godly future. 

The people that seek the knowledge of this “world” are seeking a foundation of knowledge that is corrupt and ultimately destructive to the core.  We need to eliminate the wants in our heart and mind that don’t line up with God, because they cannot and will not bring us spiritual prosperity in life.

Made Perfect In Love

When you face pressure situations in life, it challenges you to hold firm to your foundation.  The foundation that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as Lord comes from “Love”. 

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

If we are made perfect in love then fear will be cast out.  I have faced many trials in life and have concluded that the only thing that causes torment to leave, is surrendering to the love and complete work of God.  This position of surrender aligns us with the Father that went to the cross for our sins.  This “love” makes us strong in faith and secure in God and eliminates any “Torment” of the world.

Question:  Are you going through torment?

The Lord's Prayer

One Sunday morning I was preparing a message to speak at Harvest Fellowship Church. The Holy Spirit brought me a revelation about the Lord’s Prayer. I had previously heard a pastor talk about the prayer from the Bible and how in the prayer it says that Jesus taught us to pray. I began to pray with my wife the Lord’s Prayer daily. It wasn’t the exact prayer but it was the order and the submission to the prayer and its authority that I believe Jesus meant for us from the bible.

FIELDS OF FAITH

Today’s blog is to announce the Fields of Faith event for this evening in Elk City.  I am blessed to be able to be a part of this event as the MC as we are praying for many decisions for Christ!  Pray for our ministry team of pastors. God is going to do a great work in Jesus name!

Hope to see you in Elk City.

Message from Pastor Danny Ringer:  As of today we will have Keegan Metcalf from OSU; Jeremy Timms OU FCA Chaplain, Samaje Perine and not sure who the other two OU athletes will be!! Everyone welcome!!!

Break Free

We live in a world of people that is primarily lost and deceived.  This implies that if we are seeking God we are not in the “Norm”.

Webster’s Dictionary

normal |ˈnôrməl|

adjective

1 conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected

Question:  Are You Normal?

Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

If we take the time to look around we will conclude that people are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  They are seeking other things to guide and shepherd their lives such as politicians, government, and corruption of people in “power”.

Retain My Words

Proverbs 4:4-6 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
⁵ Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Webster’s Dictionary

retain |riˈtān|

verb

continue to have (something); keep possession of

Question:  How well do we retain the things we hear?

For me to retain something I need to continue to hear it.  The Word of God is our source in life and valuable for us to “retain”.  The more we seek it the easier it is for us to store it in our heart.

Unashamed Dependence

Carrie was reading her daily devotional this morning and there was a key phrase that jumped out at me.  It said; “you need to attach to God with “unashamed dependence”.  Our admission of needing help is so important in our walk with God. 

We must conclude that God is not only “relevant” to us, but He is completely necessary at the highest level in all areas of our life. 

Our pride is what has us walking around relying on our own dependence.  It is actually a foolish position when you think about it.  There is no way we can control all the elements and factors of life, much less the schemes and attacks of the enemy.  We are simply inadequate in our own ability to manage life. 

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Be Thankful

The world has a way of making us want more and more.  The key word is “Want”.  God meets our needs and has a great plan for us.  We should always be “Thankful” for what we have and give God praise.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Question:  Are you thankful for what you have?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How hard is it for us to give thanks in “Everything”?  I believe our ability to give thanks is directly related to our Trust and Faith in our God.  If He is truly the master of our lives then He has our needs met to the end.  His word cannot fail and He loved us by sending His son to the shame and death of the cross for us to have eternal life.  We owe Him our thanks in “Everything”.

None Should Perish

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Webster’s Dictionary

perish |ˈperi sh |

verb [ intrans. ]

suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way

Based on God’s word we all need to come to repentance or we are in a position to perish.  I believe we can perish physically and spiritually. 

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

repent |riˈpent|

verb [ intrans. ] to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life;

feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin

Question:  Do You Need To Repent?

Seek and Save the Lost

The word of God has taught me that our "identity" is what we seek in life.  Our identity is what defines us as people.  Everyone has the question “Who Am I” going on in their mind, even if they haven’t stopped to think about it.

In seeking God I have concluded that we are either “Lost” or “Found”.  First of all, we must be lost before we can be found.  

Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The bible makes it clear that all have fallen short of the glory of God, therefore we are first “Lost”

Romans 3:9-10 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

¹⁰ As it is written:  “There is none righteous, no, not one;

Never Be Moved!

Thank God for His grace and the new covenant that He brought to us through Christ Jesus our savior.  This grace abounds in our lives and comes from God who “loves” us.  He desires to see His children walk uprightly and work righteousness.  As His children we can dwell in His Holy place in the here and now. 

He gives us instruction in this following Old Testament Psalm as a way to “Never Be Moved” from His holy hill.

Psalm 15 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

² He who walks uprightly,
    And works righteousness,
    And speaks the truth in his heart;
³ He who does not backbite with his tongue,
    Nor does evil to his neighbor,
    Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵ He who does not put out his money at usury,
    Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

This scripture declares that; “we shall never be moved by following this instruction”. 

Stand And Attack!

We talked about the shield of faith last week and God brought me a new revelation about the shield and the sword that I want to share.

Full Scripture: Ephesians 6:14-20 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

In verse 16 it says; “above all” take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

The Lord Is My Shield

We face an enemy that is cunning and deceiving and he has a plan to destroy us.  Christ Jesus defeated him at the cross.   We can call upon His name in our time of need and He will hear our voice.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

The Lord is our Shield in times of trouble. 

Psalm 3:3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
⁴ I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill.

When I read this scripture I gained a revelation about the “Shield”.  What is a shield and how does it work?