During my 3 weeks in Hong Kong, I also attended the service of a local church. The preacher reassured the congregation about Jesus' promise of an abundant life in [John 10:10]. He used the word "eternal happiness". He pointed out that some Christians did not receive the promise fully because of negative experiences stored up in the "sub-conscience". Unless it is dealt with fully, any trigger will bring back the unpleasant memories and unhappiness!
I was woken up at around 5:00 this morning. I went back to bed after making a visit to the bathroom. As I laid there I sensed the presense of God. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that my "self-righteousness" is a problem that has robbed me of His promise of "eternal happines" at times. My unbalanced sense of "right and wrong" had lead me to focus on the mistakes of others disproportionately. This led to inappropiate anger, bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart!
I can remember a number of instances in my life how that have happened, going back tens of years before I was a Christian. I can recall how I reacted strongly to mistakes made by others. I continued to do so after I became a Christian, even up to now. The Holy Spirit asked me to let God be the only Judge, not myself [James 4:12].
I was reminded of Apostle Paul's "Struggling With Sin" in Romans 7. As I sat down in the living room to read Romans 7 & 8 again, God spoke to me again in [Rom 7:21-25] "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." Yes, I can testify to th
e power of evil that works in my mind at times. But praise God in [Rom 8:2] "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." As I was reading the Bible, I noticed an advertisment in a magazine next to me [see pic]. It was God's confirmation for me to set myself free from the sin of self-righteousness. Righteousness is from God that originates from humility, but self-righteousness is from the devil that comes from pride!
I knelt down and repented. But I know in my heart that the proof of true repentance will be in how I rid myself of self-righteous behaviour in future. Please pray for me to overcome!
I will need God's help and power to overcome my weaknesses. Indeed "......Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.......He has shown his people the power of his works.......The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy........" [Ps 111:1-10 NIV] Yes, His precepts are trustworthy. His promises are true!
I often find the Word of God in [Deu. 28-30] both encouraging & frightening - blessings in obedience and curses in disobedience. And God does not mince His words when He said "I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if.....you are not obedient......you will certainly be destroyed.......This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses." [Deut 30:15-20 NIV] May God help us to make the right choice!
Whilst Jesus came to give us an abundant life, the devil came with an agenda of destruction and death. The only way to fight the devil is to "Submit yourselves.....to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.......Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." [James 4:7-10 NIV]
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." [Prov 6:16-19 NIV] Knowing what God hates, I hereby ask God to forgive me in the sins I have ever committed in any of these 7 areas and watch over me from committing them again, in Jesus name!
May the Lord help us to walk in obedience . May the Lord bless us with the abundant life that He has promised.
AMEN!
I was woken up at around 5:00 this morning. I went back to bed after making a visit to the bathroom. As I laid there I sensed the presense of God. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that my "self-righteousness" is a problem that has robbed me of His promise of "eternal happines" at times. My unbalanced sense of "right and wrong" had lead me to focus on the mistakes of others disproportionately. This led to inappropiate anger, bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart!
I can remember a number of instances in my life how that have happened, going back tens of years before I was a Christian. I can recall how I reacted strongly to mistakes made by others. I continued to do so after I became a Christian, even up to now. The Holy Spirit asked me to let God be the only Judge, not myself [James 4:12].
I was reminded of Apostle Paul's "Struggling With Sin" in Romans 7. As I sat down in the living room to read Romans 7 & 8 again, God spoke to me again in [Rom 7:21-25] "So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." Yes, I can testify to th
e power of evil that works in my mind at times. But praise God in [Rom 8:2] "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." As I was reading the Bible, I noticed an advertisment in a magazine next to me [see pic]. It was God's confirmation for me to set myself free from the sin of self-righteousness. Righteousness is from God that originates from humility, but self-righteousness is from the devil that comes from pride!I knelt down and repented. But I know in my heart that the proof of true repentance will be in how I rid myself of self-righteous behaviour in future. Please pray for me to overcome!
I will need God's help and power to overcome my weaknesses. Indeed "......Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.......He has shown his people the power of his works.......The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy........" [Ps 111:1-10 NIV] Yes, His precepts are trustworthy. His promises are true!
I often find the Word of God in [Deu. 28-30] both encouraging & frightening - blessings in obedience and curses in disobedience. And God does not mince His words when He said "I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if.....you are not obedient......you will certainly be destroyed.......This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses." [Deut 30:15-20 NIV] May God help us to make the right choice!
Whilst Jesus came to give us an abundant life, the devil came with an agenda of destruction and death. The only way to fight the devil is to "Submit yourselves.....to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.......Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." [James 4:7-10 NIV]
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." [Prov 6:16-19 NIV] Knowing what God hates, I hereby ask God to forgive me in the sins I have ever committed in any of these 7 areas and watch over me from committing them again, in Jesus name!
May the Lord help us to walk in obedience . May the Lord bless us with the abundant life that He has promised.
AMEN!
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