‘I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.’ Isaiah 43:25 Remembering things can be so hard. My husband and I are awful at remembering things. We do have health issues that do affect this. Even if we are not on top of eating healthy. Even my kids are awful at remembering things. Or how about remembering the things that really should be forgotten? Can you relate to any of this? In what ways do you forget things. Do you have a memory that works way too well? Our memories are for us, not…
-
-
We Remember
I remember my affliction and my wanderings, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Lamentations 3:19-20 How well do you remember things from your life? Is it hard? Are they repressed? Are they different than other family member’s memories? Do you act out on those memories? Read Lamentations 3:17-20. Can you relate to the emotions implied and expressed in this passage? How actively do you remember your previous afflictions? If you have lived for a while, you probably have plenty of them. Which ones stand out to you the most? Have you ever had a season…
-
God Remembering
God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Genesis 8:1 God remembers! He knows all. How do you feel about these comments? Read Genesis 8:1. Whom did God remember? What did he remember? Do you find this verse a little unsettling? I mean, God told Noah to build an ark, commanded all the animals to go on the ark, and then shut Noah, his family, and the animals all up on the ark and then proceeded to flood the world. Wouldn’t you hope he would…
-
Memory Retrieval
“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 How well do you remember God? The brain! Such a complex part of our bodies. Our brains have an imagination. It can suppress memories and can retrieve it back later in life. As humans, we can forget how good our heavenly father is. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he can help us remember how good God is. Read Psalm 77:11-12. What kinds of things did the psalmist want to remember? Take some…
-
Forsaking Words
“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” 1 Chronicles 4:10 Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. The name Jabez means sorrow. Sorrow means pain, sorrow, or idol. Compare the meanings of sorrow and grieve. Which definitions are similar? This mother named her child Pain or idol. Now let’s learn two things: 1) idols in our lives cause pain, 2) our pain can become our idol. Did this mother make the childbirth of her son an idol? How many of us make past pain our idols? …
-
The Practice Of Blessing
On him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:10-11 Prayer! It is so important. There are many different ways prayer can look like for a person. One thing for sure is though, is that prayer is a primary discipline of our faith. This is what God wants to infuse with supernatural power. We don’t want to become legalistic about our prayer life. Prayer is communication to God. There are many ways to do pray. Jesus gave us a model of prayer called the Lord’s Prayer. Take time to look that…
-
Blessing Others
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 How well do you bless others? The Greek word for spiritual blessing is similar to eulogia. Its definition is praise, laudation, fine speech. Bless, or blessing, comes from the Greek word makarios. However, today we are going to focus on eulogia. Let’s start with God and how much he blesses us. God has used His powerful mouth to call us by name and speak blessings over us. His speaking is action. His speech is the energy released. …
-
Live Coals To Our Lips
With it, he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7 Read Isaiah 6:1-8. Read carefully. Picture and hear every little detail of this passage. Then look at the following keywords and their meanings. In verse 1, look at the word high. It means to rise, rise up, be lofty, be exalted. In verse 3, look at the word – cried. It means to call, call out, recite, read, proclaim. Also, in verse three, look at holy, hosts, full, and glory. Holy means sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart. …
-
The Power Of The Tongue
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:10 Can you control your tongue? Does it give life or death? The tongue is a powerful tool. Here are some vital concepts: God’s words are omnipotent; our words are potent because we were created in God’s image. Our words are potent whether we used them positively or negatively. God desires not only that HIs children believe the truth, but we speak it. God ordains that words of faith have more power than thoughts of faith alone. Our faith can become our voice, and our voice becomes power…
-
Rahab’s Faith
By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11:31 Rahab, a prostitute that had faith in God. God used her for his plan and purpose. What do you think about God using a prostitute? Do you think God is capable of using a prostitute today? Read Hebrews 11:31. Now read the rest of the chapter. Rahab, the prostitute, made it into the Hall of Faith!! Does she fit in, or is she a misfit? Of course, she does. So why do we try to paint her as something else than what she really was?…