MEDITATION MONDAY
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What an inspirational theme song! YOU ARE GOD ALONE! .
Yesterday morning I was so very encouraged. I love how the Holy Spirit works to tie Bible classes with sermons, with songs, with communion thoughts when none of them were orchestrated by human design. It happened again yesterday!
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Our two preachers/ministers, Dan Cooper and my husband, Steve, have been doing a follow-up series to the movie FIREPROOF after our congregation viewed the movie. Yesterday, Steve's topic was BREAKING FREE.
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As I listened to Steve speak, my mind went to some verses that I had learned as a child. One of them:
Titus 2:13-14
"...our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave Himself for us,
Who gave Himself for us,
that He might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.
These things speak, and exhort,
These things speak, and exhort,
and rebuke with all authority.
Let no man despise thee."
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The thought of God wanting me to be "peculiar" while letting "no man despise me" was quite alot for a young christian to think about. I think I focused, then, on those two parts so much that I missed the rest of the message, as a young christian. Yet, there we sat yesterday morning openly talking about purity and lust. Now, I would venture to say that most people would think that was pretty peculiar!
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I will refrain from showing you the peculiar pictures that Steve started his lesson with - pictures of PARASITES! Ugh! They were gross! Pinworms alone can produce 200,000 eggs a day. In the movie, FIREPROOF, the main star Caleb has parasites eating away at him... particularly the parasite of lust... pornography....
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Steve challenged us to break free from the parasites that we have in our lives. He used several scriptures, but the one I would like for us to meditate on here is Hebrews 12:1-3:
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Therefore, since we have
so great a cloud of witnesses
surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance,
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the Author and Perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured
such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you may not grow weary and lose heart."
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MEDITATION THOUGHTS:
We can be "entangled" by parasites like gambling, drugs, alcohol, pornography, food, shopping... anything that takes our focus away from what's important. When we are "entangled" it is because we have a great desire or lust for those things. Yet, we can also crave or lust after good things! The word lust (epithumia) is used three times in the New Testament as “good desire”: Luke 22:15, Philippians 1:23, and I Thessalonians 2:17.
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Jesus told us in His 4th Be-attitude,
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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they will be satisfied!”
Then, in the 6th Be-Attitude, He says,
“Blessed are the PURE IN HEART,
for they shall see God.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they will be satisfied!”
Then, in the 6th Be-Attitude, He says,
“Blessed are the PURE IN HEART,
for they shall see God.”
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Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us,
1. That there are a “cloud of witnesses” who have finished this journey of life victoriously… they are watching….cheering us on…
2. To get rid of the parasites that are weighing us down…encumbering and entangling us…
3. To run the race in the journey of life with perseverance… endurance…
4. To fix our eyes on Jesus, the author of our faith….
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What if we broke away from bad lust and pursued holiness via good lust. Consider keeping your head in this cloud:
NOTE: Last week, Steve and I had a friend who joined that "great cloud of witnesses". Please come back tomorrow to learn a little more about why our friend was connected with GIGATTAATTGIG!
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