Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in weepingslender's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, October 11th, 2009
10:09 pm	On the edge word.... Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you , whom you have from God , and you are not your own ? 1 Corinthians 6:19 A temple is a place where God is worshiped . God says that your body is a temple for Him . Think about what you do to your body . If you could see God dwelling inside you , would you treat your body the same ? Doing drugs turns your body into a haunted house . Not only are you tearing down a place God lives , you're making a mockery of His home and His creation . Would you go to an actual temple and mess it all up ? No . Neither should you throw trash into your own temple , turn it into a house of prostitution , or cover it with graffiti . The God who loves you deserves better than a crack house for a temple . He wants to glorify Himself in you . Drugs are stupid and kill . You already know that . But did you know that Satan uses drugs to destroy as many temples as possible ? Don't do drugs . Practice self-control and keep your temple pure and holy and healthy . Ask God to dwell richly in you and commit to being a good temple for Him . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , Just wanted to share another important message with you . I read this the other night and seen a program tonight on addictions people have , not just drugs but anything the devil can use to pull us deeper into his deception . We all have a stronghold in some area of our lives . As we pray together , keep me in prayer . I have a stronghold in my life and I need prayer as well . Dear Lord , I just pray for all who are reading this , including myself . Help of through your love and strength to get past any addictions , things that are so difficult that we need more of you to get past it . Let us get the help we need and guide us to a road fully recovered by your power , so we can give you the Glory and show how amazing you are . In Jesus name . We pray AMEN ! God Bless you all , your friend and brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
10:50 pm	Refuse to Lose / Joyce Meyer Behold , the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee : go up and possess it , as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee ; fear not , neither be discouraged . Deuteronomy 1:21 All of us become disappointed when we have plans that fail , hopes that don't materialize , and goals that are not reached . When this continues for a while , we become discouraged , a condition that can lead to depression if not handled properly . When you get discouraged , you must make a decision to adapt and adjust , to take a new approach , to just keep going despite your feelings . That's when you must remember the Greater One resides within you and decide you won't let discouragement keep you from realizing your dreams and goals . When you feel discouraged it is sometimes difficult to be positive . That's when you must rise above the discouragement through Him who lives in you . He is always available to help you find renewed direction and hope . I always say , " When you're discouraged , get encouraged , and when you're disappointed , get reappointed . " ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , Just wanted to share another encouraging message with you . I know when the blues hit its hard to get up and press on . Just like you read in this message . But I agree when you " feel " down , do not let it keep you there . Refuse to give in , because when you do give in , your playing right in to the devil's hands and then he's got you right where he wants you . When you learn to press in and go beyond how you " feel " you will get past discouragement and the " blues " and when you continue on ; your " feelings " will eventually catch up and your joy and happiness will be restored to full . May God bless you and fill you with Joy and His Peace . Jesus name AMEN ! Your friend and brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Saturday, September 26th, 2009
10:30 pm	Don't waste your pain / Joyce Meyer All things work together and are [ fitting into a plan ] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [ His ] design and purpose . Romans 8:28 Life is full of unjust situations that can create a great deal of pain for you , especially in your relationship with other people . You will experience some hurt and pain , but you don't have to allow these experiences to destroy your happiness . You can't always choose what happens to you , but you can choose how you respond to it . If you've been hurt , God can take your bad experiences and make them work for your good . Believing this truth is a positive decision that can help stop your pain . Choose to learn from the hurtful experiences instead of wasting your pain by allowing them to make you bitter . One way to do this is to overcome evil with good by making sure you don't hurt others . It's a good place to start ! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , Just wanted to share this with you . Today more than ever , people are hurting all over for numerous reasons . I just wanted to share a scripture of hope . I know dealing with people , situations beyond our control , and what ever is causing you pain right now is never a easy thing to go through . But we must remain strong and lean on God and not allow bitterness and self-pity creep in . Dear Lord , Help us when we hurt and do not understand . Remind us that no matter what , our trust is in you and You will sustain us and get us through . I pray that self-pity and bitterness to be no more in Jesus name who is finding that's where they are . Lift us up and out and take our pain to help another and you'll heal us in the process . Thank you Lord and Bless you and thanks for the Joy of your love . In Jesus name , Amen . Another note , when someone hurts you , just remember , hurting people hurt people . Pray for them and share the love of Jesus as He has with us many many times . Your friend and Brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Monday, May 4th, 2009
10:28 pm	God Has Not Forgotten You / Joyce Meyer God is faithful ; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear . But when you are tempted , he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it . 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV The world is full of people struggling with trials and temptations and looking for a way out . If you have ever felt pressed on every side and couldn't find an escape , or confused and didn't know what to do , you know what a desperate and lonely feeling that can be . The Word tells you God is faithful and He will provide a way for you , but He doesn't always show us the way immediately . That is when you must wait... and trust . Waiting on God purifies your faith and builds character in you . You may not like waiting , but God's was is perfect ! So be assured God has not forgotten you . Trust Him , and in His time He will reveal His perfect plan for you . While your waiting , don't forget to enjoy your life . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God Bless you Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
1:46 pm	Fulfillment in Christ / E . Stanley Jones For all the promises of God in Him are Yes , and in Him Amen , to the glory of God through us . 2 Corinthians 1:20 All the promises God makes in nature , in Scripture , in history , and in the longings of personal experience find their yes in Him . The New Testament speaks of " the upward call of God in Christ Jesus . " Jesus is the upward call of God - calling us from the lower to the higher , the incomplete to the complete , the imperfect to the perfect . Everything in Jesus is upward . Everything outside Jesus is downward . An African after he was converted renamed himself " After " . Everything to him was " After " - after death , after sin , after sorrow , after frustration , after alienation . Now everything had promise in it - had a future . In sin there is no future - it is the way to decay and death . Jesus is the Yes to all the promises of God made everywhere . There are thirty-three thousand promises in the Scriptures , and Jesus is the Yes to every one of them . He writes " Yes " in His blood on every promise . If you come in His name , you can have them cashed in experience . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy Here , I haven't shared a devotional with you all in a while . The Lord has placed some great ones on my heart just like this one . I will be sharing more with you . Have a great day and God is Good ! Your friend and brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
10:11 pm	Be Realistic in Your Expectations / Joyce Meyer Be Realistic in Your Expectations by Joyce Meyer And now , Lord , what do I wait for and expect ? My hope and expectation are in You . Psalm 39:7 If we expect something from someone we should really only expect from God , otherwise we will end up disappointed and frustrated . Ask God for what you want and need and trust Him to work through whoever He chooses . The Bible says Jesus knew human nature and therefore did not trust Himself to people ( see John 2: 24-25 ) . He fully understood how imperfect people can be and how they are incapable of meeting all our expectations all of the time . He kept good relationships but at the same time was very realistic in His expectations . I ( Joyce Meyer ) got hurt very badly several times by expecting people to give me what only God could give . One of the lessons I learned the hard way had to do with a sense of my own self-worth and value . For a long time , I looked to people to make me feel good about myself when , in reality , I had to find my true value in Jesus Christ and His love for me . If we place our hope and expectations in God , we will not be disappointed . People usually don't intend to hurt us , but the truth is , we all hurt and disappoint one another simply because we have inherent weaknesses . We are naturally selfish and tend to do what is best for us instead of what is best for other people . As we mature spiritually through our relationship with Jesus , we can overcome these selfish tendencies , but while we are in the process of changing , we will make mistakes . Sometimes we expect something from others who are not even aware of our expectations . We become hurt and angry because we feel let down , and the individual we are angry at may not even know what he or she did to hurt us . Make a decision to put your expectations in God . Trust Him for what you want and need and it will make life a lot simpler . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Andy here , I just wanted to thankyou for spending time with God , as you read this great inspiration . I know its been a while since I sent out some greatness of God's word . I had some really busy and hectic weeks in the past month . But Thanks to God things are settling and things are getting back in order AMEN ! If you have time check out my Myspace page I have recently updated the look and added a few new pics ; go to www.myspace.com/andycrouse . Have a blessed rest of the week , hope you all had a chance to enjoy this beautiful weather . God peace and Love to you all ! Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
9:17 pm	A truth from 2 Kings and the book of John Hello Family and Friends , The Lord has touched my heart in His word again and I just like to share it with you to . The Word of God is so powerful . I like to start with a summary from the book of 2 Kings . About how important it is to follow in God's lead for our lives and how by doing so we will be stronger than ever . Second Kings is the story of the divided kingdoms of the Hebrew : Israel and Judah . Each kingdom had its own kings and its own priests and its own prophets . But one thing they had in common : Their governments went from bad to worse with only a few exceptions . The people continued to disregard God even though He sent prophets again and again to set them straight . Just like we have our own personal prophet inside us today the Holy Spirit . Through the years , each kingdom became a weakling spiritually and morally . After years of disobedience and struggle , they became sitting ducks for the larger nations around them . Assyria , a nation known for its cruelty in warfare , eventually attacked Israel . Babylon , a rich and strong nation to the south , attacked Judah . The Hebrew people were carried away from their countries to be slaves and prisoners in a foreign place . The Hebrew people continued to lose their land because they wouldn't listen to God . They wouldn't listen to Him about how to govern their land or how to treat each other . They wouldn't listen to Him about how to worship and who to worship . This is their story so that we can learn from their mistakes . Wasn't it obvious that the Hebrews needed to take God seriously ? Don't you wonder sometimes what got in their way when they should have been listening to God and obeying Him ? It's easy to wonder and even laugh at these people who seemed to avoid the obvious : Do what God says and things will go better for you ! But the truth is , we do the same thing today . God told these people . " Worship only Me . Don't trust anything else to get you through this life . " Yet they , and we , go our own way and worship and trust in other things to guide us and to rescue us from the difficult parts of life . Our world is not that far from theirs , is it . I am still in the second Kings book , but as God reveal this to me it spoke to me . How in my own personal life there are things I am still dealing with and how from my disobedience it seems to be getting stronger and me weaker and that I keep going around and around that same mountain . And its tiring . So as God showed me this I knew and have known I got to get ahold of this and obey God , and let that deliverance take place .But in order for Him to deliver me I have to obey Him and let Him work that in my life . I just wanted to share that with you as we all have strongholds and things we want God to help us with , but God needs our obedience to Him because we are partners with God . Then I wanted to share with you a powerful message that the Lord spoke to me through the gospel of John . Its about how much He loves us and how without Jesus we are nothing . I encourage you to read John chapter 17 . In this chapter , Jesus is praying for Himself and His disciples and then for all believers . He was praying that we all be connected as One . And to know the one and only true God , that He is our link for us all to be One . What really got to me in this chapter was in verse 20 , Jesus was praying for all believers . Praying for you and me ... , before we were ever born . How awesome is that ! How He was thinking of us and loved us enough , to want us enough so much that He prayed for us and willingly gave Himself up for us to make the way for us to be One with God . That just touched my heart . So you see we all have to have Jesus . Jesus said to him [ Thomas ] , " I am the way , the truth , and the life . No one comes to the Father except through Me " John 14:6 If you check the graves of Mohammed or Buddha or any other so called god , you will find that those graves all have one thing in common : They all have bones in them . There is only one grave that is empty - the grave of our Lord Jesus Christ ! He is the only way to get to God , the only way to get to heaven , the only way to have eternal life , the only way to have a real life . A lot of people are out there lost in the world trying to work their way in to heaven . Then there are those who think they can buy their way into heaven . There are those who simply believe that as long as you try to be a good person , you'll end up in heaven . And finally there are the kind of people who just don't believe God would send anyone to hell . They believe everyone goes to heaven . Well , here's some good news and some bad news . There really is a heaven and there really is a hell . It doesn't matter how good you think you are , how much money you have , or how many times you've been to church . Without Jesus , you can forget it all . He is the only way . He is the only truth . He is the only life . also see Matt.10:28 and Rom.10:13 I pray these powerful messages and truth have touched you as they have me . I pray for you and bless you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ! Amen . Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Friday, January 16th, 2009
9:30 pm	Transformed by Trouble......... Transformed by Trouble by Rick Warren For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all . 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV God has a purpose behind every problem . Don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead , for this is no strange , unusual thing that is going to happen to you . 1 Peter 4:12 LB Jesus said , " In this world you will have trouble , But take heart ! I have overcome the world ." John 16:33 NIV God uses problems to draw you closer to Himself . The Lord is close to the brokenhearted ; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit . Psalm 34:18 NLT We learn things about God in suffering that we can't learn any other way . God could have kept Joseph out of jail : Joseph's master took him and put him in prison , the place where the king's prisoners were confined . But while Joseph was there in the prison , the Lord was with him ; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden . So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison , and he was made responsible for all that was done there . The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care , because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did . Genesis 39:20-23 NIV God could have kept Jeremiah from being tossed into a slimy pit : [ The king's officials ] took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah , the king's son , which was the courtyard of the guard . They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern ; it had no water in it , only mud , and Jeremiah sank down into the mud . Jeremiah 38:6 NIV God could have kept Daniel out of the lion's den : The king gave the order , and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den . The king said to Daniel , " May your God , whom you serve continually , rescue you ! " A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den , and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles , so that Daniel's situation might not be changed . The the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him . And he could not sleep . At the first light of dawn , the king got up and hurried to the lions' den . When he came near the den , he called to Daniel in an anguished voice , " Daniel , servant of the living God , has your God , whom you serve continually , been able to rescue you from the lions ? " Daniel answered , " O king , live forever ! My God sent His angel , and he shut the mouths of the lions . They have not hurt me , because I was found innocent in His sight . Nor have I ever done anything wrong before you . O king . " The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den . And when Daniel was lifted from the den , no wound was found on him , because he had trusted in his God . Daniel 6:16-23 NIV God could have kept Paul from being shipwrecked three times : Three times I was beaten with rods , once I was stoned , three times I was shipwrecked , I spent a night and a day in the open sea , I have been constantly on the move . I have been in danger from rivers , in danger from bandits , in danger from my own countrymen , in danger from Gentiles ; in danger in the city , in danger in the country , in danger at sea , and in danger from false brothers . I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep ; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food ; I have been cold and naked . 2 Corinthians 11:25-27 NIV God could have kept the three Hebrew young men from being thrown into the blazing furnace : Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego replied to the king , " O Nebuchadnezzar , we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter . If we are thrown into the blazing furnace , the God we serve is able to save us from it , and He will rescue us from your hand , O king . But even if He does not , we want you to know , O king , that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up . " Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach , Meshach , and Abenego , and his attitude toward them changed . He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace . So these men , wearing their robes , trousers , turbans and other clothes , were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace . The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego , and these three men , firmly tied , fell into the blazing furnace . Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers . " Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire ? They replied , " Certainly , O king . " He said , " Look ! I see four men walking around in the fire , unbound and unharmed , and the fourth looks like a son of the gods . " Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted , " Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego , servants of the Most High God , come out ! Come here ! " So Shadrach , Meshach , and Abednego came out of the fire , and the satraps , prefects , governors , and royal advisers crowded around them . They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies , nor was a hair of their heads singed ; their robes were not scorched , and there was no smell of the fire on them . Daniel 3:16-27 NIV But God didn't stop any of these things from happening . He let those problems happen , and every one of those persons was drawn closer to God as a result . Problems also force us to look to God and to depend on Him instead of ourselves . We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves ; but that was good , for then we put everything into the hands of God , who alone could save us . 2 Corinthians 1:9 LB Because God is sovereignly in control , accidents are just incidents in God's good plan for you . We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them . For God knew His people in advance , and He chose them to become like His Son ( Jesus ) . Romans 8:28-29 NLT Every problem is a character-building opportunity , and the more difficult it is , the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber . We know that these troubles produce patience . And patience produce character . Romans 5:3-4 NCV Troubles come to prove that your faith is pure . This purity of faith is worth more than gold . 1 Peter 1:7 Under pressure , your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors . James 1:3 The Message Since God intends to make you like Jesus , He will take you through the same experiences Jesus went through . Although He was a son , He learned obedience from what He suffered and , once made perfect , He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him . Hebrews 5:8-9 NIV We go through exactly what Christ goes through . If we go through the hard times with Him , then we're certainly going to go through the good times with Him ! Romans 8:17 The Message Problems don't automatically produce what God intends . Many people become bitter , rather than better , and never grow up . You have to respond the way Jesus would . 1. To deal with suffering as Jesus did , remember that God's plan is good . " I know the plans I have for you , " declares the LORD , " plans to prosper you and not to harm you , plans to give you hope and a future . " Jeremiah 29:11 NIV Joseph understood this truth when he told his brothers who had sold him into slavery , " You intended to harm me , but God intended it for good . " Genesis 50:20 NIV Hezekiah echoed the same sentiment about his life-threatening illness : " It was for my own good that I had such hard times . " Isaiah 38:17 CEV The secret of endurance is to remember that your pain is temporary but your reward will be eternal . God is doing what is best for us , training us to live God's holy best . Hebrews 12:10 The Message Keep your eyes on Jesus , our leader and instructor . He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterwards . Hebrews 12:2 LB By faith Moses , when he had grown up , refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter . He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time . He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt , because he was looking ahead to his reward . Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV Our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long . Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever ! 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT If we are to share Christ's glory , we must also share His suffering . What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later . Romans 8:17-18 NLT Be full of joy [ when you are persecuted ] , because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven . Luke 6:23 2 . To deal with suffering as Jesus did , we must rejoice and give thanks in the midst of it . Give thanks in all circumstances , for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus . 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always . Again I will say , rejoice ! Philippians 4:4 3 . To deal with suffering as Jesus did , refuse to give up . Let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed , and you will find that you have become men of mature character ...with no weak spots . James 1:3-4 Ph . You need to stick it out , staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion . Hebrews 10:36 The Message Your Brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
9:18 pm	A Promise from God ........ He Promises Not to Turn you Away All the Father gives Me will come to Me , and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out John 6:37 Some people think they have to have their lives totally together before they turn to God . They think they need to make themselves worthy of Jesus' friendship . This is a lie that suits Satan's purposes pretty well . The problem is that nobody will ever be worthy of what God is offering him or her . That's a part of God's truth that's hard to swallow . And if Satan can keep people believing that they have to somehow earn God's favor - that it's even possible - he can keep them from taking the first step toward God's kingdom . The truth is that God doesn't ask anyone to be worthy of Him . If you come to Him - without excuses , without trying to justify yourself , just putting your complete trust in Him ( like putting all your weight in a chair ) - then Jesus promises not to turn you away . He accepts you because He loves you , not because you've earned His friendship . We can't change ourselves or anyone . Only God can . Its His love that changes your mind , view and heart . When you give yourself to Him and really want change , then get ready for a journey that is so worth anything you ever thought otherwise . Change is never easy or is it an overnight or instant manifestation . But changing from dark to light having the blinders of this world removed by God's word and Spirit and being filled with that Love and Peace and filling that void we all have in us that only can only be filled by God . No drink , drug , sexual act , food , or anything can ever fill it , because we simply are made for God and with out God , its not possible to have complete wholeness . I love what I once heard , " Your worst day with Jesus is always better than your ' best ' day without Him . " God Bless you all ! Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Friday, January 9th, 2009
8:26 pm	God Is Watching .......... God Is Watching by Joyce Meyer For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him . 2 Chronicles 16:9 God is watching you , and He sees everything you do . The psalmist said of Him , You know my down - sitting and my uprising ; You understand my thought afar off ( Psalm 139:2 ) . God is eagerly seeking opportunities to reward you for your faith in Him . Jesus said , " Behold , I am coming soon , and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me , to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit " ( Revelation 22:12 ) . That means that people will receive pay for the actions they comment while in this earth . Now , that can be exciting in one way , and frightening in another way . We need to realize that God is watching us , and that no one is really getting by with anything . God neither sleeps nor slumbers ( see Psalm 121:4 ) . He knows everything that goes on behind closed doors . So we need to live as if we really believe that God is watching our every move . When we sit and have a conversation , we need to remember that God is the unseen guest who is listening to everything that we have to say . Do not become discouraged in doing good , for God sees everything you are doing for others on His behalf . Not one good work that you do with the right motive has gone unnoticed . God sees every person you help , every person you are kind to ; He knows every time you show somebody a little bit of mercy , every time you show someone forgiveness , and He will reward you for it . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , I know at times its easy to get caught in the flesh if we're not keeping our guards up . So we pray Father God , give us your help and strength to overcome strongholds in our lives . In Jesus name we pray and give thanks and glory to you. AMEN ! ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 8th, 2009
9:20 pm	You Are Responsible for Your own life / Joyce Meyer You Are Responsible for Your Own Life By Joyce Meyer Be doers of the Word , and not hearers only . James 1:22 ( KJV ) One of the biggest problems in society today is that people don't want to take responsibility for their lives . They want quick fixes . Society has trained them to believe that if they have problems , somebody else is responsible . Their parents are responsible . Their spouses are responsible . Their schools or employers are responsible . The company that made the cigarettes or vehicle or junk food is responsible . I'm not saying you are responsible for the current state in your life . Lots of uncontrollable events occur in our lives . Sometimes we do get very bad messages in childhood . Sometimes we have bad people in our lives who hurt us . The situation you find yourself in may or may not be your fault . But it is your fault if you take it lying down ! You do not have to stay in that bad situation . You get to make a choice . And that choice is 100 percent yours . No matter how you got to where you find yourself today , don't let it be an excuse to stay there . I had many excuses and reasons for my poor health , bad attitude , and unbalanced life . As long as I offered excuses , I never made progress . The time has come to be very honest with yourself and with God . When you have a moment of privacy , take a deep breath , clear your head , and repeat this phrase : " I am responsible for my own life . No one can take charge of it but me . If I am unhappy or unhealthy , I know I have the power to change that . I have all the help and knowledge I need ; and with God's hand today , I start becoming the person of excellence I have always known I could be . " ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , Just wanted to bless you with prayer , Lord Jesus , Open every heart at this moment . Let them know how powerful and amazing you are . The fire that powers us to change from the inside out is ignited by your Love . Love is the core of it all . Thankyou Jesus , we love and praise you . In Jesus name we pray and thankyou for hearing our prayer . AMEN ! ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
11:26 am	Never Go to Bed Angry...... Never Go to Bed Angry By Joyce Meyer When angry , do not sin ; do not ever let your wrath ( your exasperation , your fury or indignation ) last until the sun goes down . Ephesians 4:26 Now I don't know about you , but I'm glad this verse is in the Bible because it helps us to build character by giving us a guideline to follow in handling our anger : let go of anger before bedtime . There is only one problem . What happens when we become good and mad just before bedtime ? If we become mad in the morning , at least we have all day to get over it . But when we become mad close to bedtime , we have to make a quick decision . Why is it so bad for us to go to bed angry ? I think it is because while we sleep , what we are angry about has time to get a hold on us and take root in us . But the Word says , Leave no [ such ] room or foothold for the devil [ give no opportunity to him ] ( Ephesians 4:27 ) . This verse tells us what happens if we refuse to get over our anger by bedtime : It opens a door for the devil and gives Satan a foothold . Once Satan gets a foothold in our lives , then he can move on to a stronghold . You may wonder , Well , if I am mad , what should I do about it ? Get over it ! You may think , That's easy for you to say , but you're not in my situation . I may not be in your situation , but you are not in my situation either . We all have different situations . If you are going to live a joyful , victorious life , you have to do so by choice and not by feeling . In Deuteronomy 30:19 the Lord tells us , I have set before you life and death , the blessings and the curses ; therefore choose life . Choose life by refusing to give into anger .Take responsibility for your anger and learn to deal with it - process it and bring closure to it , and that will relieve the pressure . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , this is a great message for all of us . We all get angry and with this self-control practice we'll be another step ahead of the devil . God bless , your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
9:49 am	Trust in Christ to Lead You........ Trust in Christ to Lead You by Joyce Meyer You will guide me with Your counsel , and afterward receive me to honor and glory . Psalm 73:24 We believe that God is inherently good and that He is also in control of our lives . Therefore , when tragedy strikes or loss occurs , we don't understand why God does not prevent such things from happening to us and hurting us so badly . Faced with tragic loss , often we become angry and ask , " If God is good and all-powerful , why does He allow bad things to happen to good people ? " This question becomes a major issue when it is we , God's own children , who are the ones suffering . At times , reasoning wants to scream out , " This makes no sense at all ! " Over and over the question , " Why , God , why ? " torments those who are grieving over losses in their life , just as it also tortures the lonely and the dejected . Excessive reasoning , trying to figure out things for which we will not be able to find an answer , torments and brings much confusion ; but Proverbs 3:5,6 tells us that trust in the Lord brings assurance and direction : Lean on , trust in , and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding . In all your ways know , recognize , and acknowledge Him , and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths . When we face a time of crisis in life , we need direction . These scriptures tell us that trusting God is the way to find that direction . Trust requires allowing some unanswered questions to be in your life ! No matter how badly you may be hurting from a loss or tragedy , the Holy Spirit can give you a deep peace that somehow everything will be all right . Being angry at God is useless because He is the only One Who can help . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy here , We all have unanswered questions in our lives , but when you trust the Lord you do have a peace and knowing your life is in His hands . Lord Jesus , I just pray over my friends , family , brothers and sisters in Christ , I pray for their hearts to be open to you in this new year . I pray for a revelation of you in their lives and my life to seek you more to know you more and to be transform more into your image . I pray for every area in their lives to be great . Let them know that in you and fully committed to you there's nothing that can stop the Joy we have in you . I thank you now Lord Jesus for making life great , I thank you for your dying so we could live . I thank you for your love that forever changes us . I love you and constantly want and need more of you in my life . So help us to decrease so You can increase and give us such a Happiness that we fall head over heels with Joy , Love and Peace . Its in Jesus Name we pray Father and I thank you now , that you heard our prayer . Amen ! There a song I heard where it says ' I don't need a man made feeling , I've got the real thing , the One true God ' and its true , all the drinking , drugs , what ever it is you think is making you happy or taking your " cares " away , its just a temporary thing , for the moment , its not ever going to heal you or stop the problem from coming back . God is a the only thing that can take it all away and its not temporary its eternal . Nothing happens overnight but , believe me change is much better than staying in misery and doing things that in time will destroy you , where as with God and His ways , in time will restore you . And give you such a life of meaning and joy that you just can't stop from wanting more of it ! Love and God's peace to you all . Your Brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www. andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
5:12 pm	Check Your Motives.... Check Your Motives by Joyce Meyer Now am I trying to win the favor of men , or , of God ? Do I seek to please men ? If I were still seeking popularity with men , I should not be a bond servant of Christ ( the messiah ) . Galatians 1:10 Our reason or motive for doing the things we do is very important . God wants us to have pure hearts . He wants us to do what we do because we believe He is leading us to do it or because it is the right thing to do . God wants us to be motivated by love . We should do what we do for the love of God and man . If we are motivated by fear , it does not please God . God instructs is in His word not to do good deeds to be seen of men . We are not to do things to be recognized and honored . When we pray , we are not to do it to be seen of men or to try and impress God by heaping up phrases and repeating them over and over . God is not impressed with the length and eloquence of our prayers . He is searching for sincerity and fervency . Any work of ours this is impure will be burned up on Judgement Day . We lose our reward for any work that is done with impure motives ( see Matthew 6: 1-7 and 1 Corinthians 3: 13-15 ) . We should regularly take some time and ask ourselves why we are doing the things we do . It is not what we do that impresses God , it is the " why " behind what we do that He is concerned with . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy here , Just wanted to say hello as this is the last day of 2008 . I pray your 2009 will be full of hope and that you allow more of God in your life . You be surprised how far you will come if you give God just a little . He wants all of you but believe me just little is a great start . Back in 2003 I wasn't back to giving my all to God and He moved in my life that year and I began after that to commit to prayer with Him on a daily and giving Him thanks for what He done for me even then the backslider that I was , He still showed abundance of mercy on me and in return I gave Him a set appointed of time that was just for Him . He took that time and began to move and work in me and I didn't really know just how much , but as I gave Him that door to move it was just enough that in 2006 I was back committed to the Lord and growing ever since . I am not where I need to be but I am not where I used to be that's for sure ! Since that time , I have so much more meaning for each day , I have a greatness that's inside I can't explain , I knew outlook and lease on life . Seeing it more and more of God's way and what He wants not my wants . His wants are becoming my wants because of Jesus' powerful love working on the inside of me ! Well I could go on and on , Jesus Christ is the best and I pray as the Holy Spirit nudges your heart you will just let Him in and Bless you ! Your Blessed ! Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
6:37 pm	Seek God All the Time / Joyce Meyer Seek God All the Time by Joyce Meyer Keep on asking and it will be given you ; keep on seeking and you will find ; keep on knocking [ reverently ] and [ the door ] will be opened to you . Matthew 7:7 In 2 Chronicles 20 , King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast to show his sincerity to God . Missing a few meals and taking that time to seek God is not a bad idea . Turning the television off and spending the time you would normally spend watching it with God is not a bad idea either . Stay home a few evenings and spend extra time with the Lord instead of going out with your friends and repeating your problem over and over to them . These things and others show that we know hearing from God is vital . I have learned the word seek means to pursue , crave , and go after with all your might . In other words , we act like a starving man in search of food to keep us alive . I would also like to add that we need to seek God all the time not just when we are in trouble . Once God spoke to me that the reason so many people had problems all the time was because that was the only time they would seek Him . He showed me that if He removed the problems , He would not get any time with the people . He said , " Seek Me as if you were desperate all the time and then you won't find yourself desperate as often in reality . " I think this is good advice , and I highly recommend that we all follow it . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy here , Thanks for taking time for God . As we read , take time to seek God all the time . When you do you will find yourself wanting more of God in your life . That power of God is just so addictive . The more time you spend with God and in the Word , the more your going to get out of it . Some may say ' but I just can't understand the Bible ' . Then pray for wisdom and understanding . Read even if you don't understand while your waiting on God to give you the understanding . Because when you read it your getting it in your spirit . I know there are lots of times I re-read a passage or a scripture and it suddenly comes alive to me or see it as I have never seen it before . God's word if full of hidden truths He wants to show us , but that's just it , it can't be found if its not searched ! And no one can do it for you , so dig on in and pray God to reveal Himself to you . Its an amazing journey and is always continual . Start by asking Jesus in your heart if you haven't so He can remove the blinders of this world so you can see the Kingdom :) God Bless and take care , Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Friday, December 26th, 2008
10:28 am	Positive Minds / Joyce Meyer Hello Everyone , I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to a bright new year . For a good year its always great to have a positive mind , because God is always positive and the devil negative , so we know where each kind of thinking comes from where . So I included this little message from Joyce Meyer " Positive Minds " . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Positive Minds Jesus said , Go ; it shall be done for you as you have believed . Matthew 8:13 Sometimes when I stand behind the pulpit , and before I speak , I pause and my gaze sweeps across the audience . I look at the faces of the people . I love to see the bright smiles and expressions of anticipation , but there are always a few who look downtrodden and discouraged . I don't know anything about them and I don't want to judge them , but their faces look sad . They look as if they have lost hope and expect nothing positive to happen - and too often , they get exactly what they expect . I understand those discouraged people ; I was once one of them . Here's a simple fact I've learned : Positive minds produce positive lives , but negative minds produce negative lives . The New Testament tells the story of a Roman soldier whose servant was sick , and the soldier wanted Jesus to heal him . That wasn't uncommon - many wanted Jesus to heal them or their loved ones in those days . But this soldier , instead of asking Jesus to come to his servant , expressed his belief that if Jesus would just speak the word , his servant would be healed ( see Matthew 8:8 ) . Jesus marveled at his faith and sent out His word to heal the servant . The soldier's positive mindset - his faith - brought positive results . He expected healing , and that's exactly what happened . Too often , we cry to Jesus to heal us , to take care of our finances , or to deliver us from problems , but we don't fully expect the good things to happen . We allow our minds to focus on the negative aspects . Doubt and unbelief war against our minds and steal our faith if we allow it . As I ( Joyce Meyer ) wrote in my book Battlefield of the Mind , many years ago I was extremely negative . I used to say that if I had two positive thoughts in a row , my mind would get in a cramp . That's an exaggeration , of course , but that's how I saw myself . I lived with the same philosophy that other people have : If we don't expect anything good to happen , we won't be disappointed when it doesn't . I could have excused my negative attitude by telling everyone about my disappointments in my life - and I had many . It wasn't just my lack of expectation . It was more than that . Because I thought negatively , I spoke negatively . When people told me of their spiritual victories , I'd think , That won't last . When people spoke of their faith , I'd smile , but inwardly I would think that they are gullible . I could always figure out ways that plans would go wrong or people would disappoint me . Was I happy ? Of course not . Negative thinkers are never happy . It's too long of a story to explain how I came to face that reality , but once I realized what a negative person I was , I cried out to the Lord to help me . I learned that if I kept studying the Word of God , I could push away negative thoughts . God's Word is positive and uplifting . My responsibility was to become the kind of believer who honor God with her thoughts , as well as with her actions and her deeds . I understood the remorse David must have felt when he wrote Psalm 51 : " Have mercy upon me O God , according to Your steadfast love ..." is the way he starts . I especially meditated on verse 9 : " Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities . " I hadn't sinned in the same way David did , of course , but my negative thinking and a bad attitude was sin . It wasn't just weakness or a bad habit . When I focused on negative thinking , I was rebelling against God . The Lord had mercy on me . As I continued in His Word and in prayer , He freed me from Satan's stronghold . Freedom is available for all of us . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andy here , I hope this has encouraged you . I know in my past I had trouble in this area with negative thinking and occasionally I still do , we all do Iam sure . But just don't live a life to where your always having a negative outlook never expecting anything good . Because when you live that way ; your in constant misery and have no joy in your life . If we live and expect great things and yes there be times when it doesn't turn out like we expect , but least its a moment of disappointment and we can just brush it off and move on . That way we're not living a life with constant disappointment and constant despair . Which is exactly what the devil wants . So expect greatness from God , its His good pleasure to give us His kingdom ! ( Luke 12:32 ) Love and Peace , Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 21st, 2008
4:55 pm	Hello Family and Friends Hello Everyone . I started to share with you all a few months ago a book by Rick Warren entitled " A purpose driven life " and many of you said you heard , read , or even have the book . Which is great ! I was wanting to share it with you , but with my schedule it was hard to keep it on a regular basis . So I decided to share with you from the book what the Lord points out for me or places on my heart . So today Iam going to share with you " How we Grow " from the book. I pray it blesses you . God Bless . Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How we Grow by Rick Warren God wants us to grow up , to know the whole truth and tell it in love - like Christ in everything . Ephesians 4:15 The message . We are not meant to remain as children . Ephesians 4:14 ph. Discipleship - the process of becoming like Christ - always begins with a decision . " Come , be my disciple ," Jesus said to him . So Matthew got up and followed Him . Matthew 9:9 NLT Once you decide to get serious about becoming like Christ , you must begin to act in new ways . You can be certain that the Holy Spirit will help you with these changes . Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling , for it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose . Philippians 2:12-13 NIV The " work out " is your responsibility , and the " work in " is God's role . Your first step in spiritual growth is to start changing the way you think . They way you think determines the way you feel , and the way you feel influences the way you act . Be careful how you think ; your life is shaped by your thoughts . Proverbs 4:23 TEV Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think . Then you will know what God wants you to do . Romans 12:2 NLT There must be a spiritual renewal if your thoughts and attitudes . Ephesians 4:23 NLT Think the same way that Christ Jesus thought . Philippians 2:5 CEV Stop thinking like children . In regard to evil be infants , but in your thinking be adults . 1 Corinthians 14:20 NIV Since everything around us is going to melt away , what holy , godly lives you should be living ! 2 Peter 3:11 NLT Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want . But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do . Romans 8:5 NCV When I was a child , I talked like a child , I thought like a child , I reasoned like a child . When I became a man , I put childish ways behind me . 1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV We should think [ our neighbor's ] good and try to help them by doing what pleases them . Even Christ did not try to please Himself . Romans 15:2-3 CEV God has given us His Spirit . That's why we don't think the same was the people of the world think . 1 Corinthians 2:12 CEV Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind . Then you will be able to know the will of God - what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect . Romans 12:2 TEV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Love in Christ , (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
3:49 pm	The most important decision.../ Joyce Meyer - final chapter 7 Chapter 7 : IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ? Yes ! There is one more very important thing you need to know . There is yet another blessing available to you . The Bible calls it " the baptism of the Holy Spirit " . The Bible tells us Jesus baptized people with the Holy Ghost and fire ( Matt .3:4-6 ,11 ) . In Acts 1:8 , Jesus talked about this Spirit baptism . He said we would " receive power(ability ,effciency ,and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you , " and this power would cause us to tell others about Jesus ( AMP ) . When you received Jesus , you received the Holy Spirit into your human spirit . But the baptism of the Spirit is a complete filling . He fills you , and you are placed into Him . It is like asking the Spirit to fill you through and through with the power and ability to live the Christian life and serve God according to His will . The Greek word dunamis , translated " power" in Acts , actually means " miraculous power , ability , might , and strength ." Miracle-working power ! Ask yourself : Do I need power , ability , strength , and miracles in my life ? If your answer yes , then you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit . SCIPTURES REFERENCES FOR BEING BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT . " But you shall receive power ( ability , efficiency , and might ) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you , and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends ( the very bounds ) of the earth " ( Acts 1:8 AMP ) . . " And when the day of Pentecost had fully come , they were all assembled together in one place , when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast , and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting . And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire , which settled on each one of them . And they were all filled ( diffused throughout their souls ) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other ( diffent , foreign ) languages ( tongues ) , as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expressions [ in each tongue in appropriate words ] " ( Acts 2:1-4 AMP ) . . " Then [ the apostles ] laid their hands on them one by one , and they received the Holy Spirit " ( Acts 8:17 AMP ) . . " While Peter was still speaking these words , the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message . And believers from among the circumcised [ the Jews ] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed , because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles . For they heard them talking in [ unknown ] tongues ( languages ) and extolling and magnifying God " ( Acts 10:44-46 AMP ) . . And as Paul laid his hands upon them , the Holy Spirit came on them ; and they spoke in [ foreign , unknown ] tongues ( languages ) and prophesied " ( Acts 19:6 AMP ) . TONGUES : You probably noticed that people began to " speak in tongues " or " other tongues " as they were baptized in the Holy Spirit . This means a language other than their usual one . It could be a known tongue ( to someone else , not the speaker ) or a tongue of angels ( one unknown to any human ) ( 1 Cor . 13:1 ) . The best and easiest way to describe tongues is to say it is a spiritual language , one the Holy Spirit chooses to speak through you but one you do not know . It is the Holy Spirit speaking directly to God through you . Tongues is referred to as a " phenmenon " That means we do not understand it with our minds . It is a spiritual thing . When you pray in other tongues you are speaking secrets and mysteries unto God ( 1 Cor . 14:2 ) . Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14 that if you pray in tongues , your mind is unfruitful . In 14:4 , Paul says when you pray in tongues , you edify ( build up ) yourself . Praying in tongues is one way to be assured that you can pray a perfect prayer when you are in a situation in which you do not know how to pray as you should . Romans 8:26 says , 'So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up on our weakness ; foe we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought , but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance . ( AMP ) Praying in the Spirit , or speaking in tongues , strengthens your spirit . It builds you up spiritually . Jude 1:20 says : But you , beloved , buid yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [ make progress , rise like an edifice higher and higher ] , praying in the Holy Spirit . ( AMP ) LAYING ON OF THE HANDS : You may receive the Holy Spirit by having someone lay hands on you and pray for you . BY FAITH : Luke 11:13 tells us : If you then , evil as you are , know how to give good gifts [ gifts that are to their advantage ] to your children , how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him ! ( AMP ) Therefore , ask . You may ask God yourself . THE HOLY SPIRIT MAY COME SOVEREIGNLY : I ( Joyce Meyer ) received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my car in February 1976 as a sovereign move of God in my life . I was crying out to God , asking for more of Him . I said , " God , there has to be more to Christianity than I am experiencing . " I wanted victory over my problems , and I did not have it . I had received Christ as my Savior many years before and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit . I was saved and would have gone to heaven had I died . Yet I was without power to live a victorious Christian life . I cried out in desperation that morning , and that same evening Jesus baptized me in the Holy Spirit . I did not speak in tongues right away ( mainly because I knew nothing about such things ) . However , I did receive much power , ability , determination , and understanding . During the next three weeks , God led me to a radio programs and books where I learned about the baptism in the Spirit . At first , I did not know what had happenend to me . I just knew it was wonderful , and it was of God . I then learned about the gift of speaking in tongues , asked God for it , and received it . HOW TO RECEIVE TONGUES : Ask God to fill you and to baptize you in the Holy Spirit . Simply pray , " Father , in Jesus' name , I ask You to baptize me in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues . " Be relaxed and at ease in God's presence . He loves you and wants you to have His best . Wait on Him quietly , and believe you are receiving . Believe before you feel any change . You may feel a change taking place , but you may not . Do not be led by your feelings ; be led by God's promises . To speak in tongues , open your mouth , and as the Spirit gives you utterance , speak forth what you hear coming up out of your inner man . It will not come out of your head . Remember , your mind does not understand spiritual things . That is why it is so hard for many people . We are accustomed to our minds running our lives . This whole book is about learning to live spiritually , not naturally . You will hear or sense syllables , words , pharses , or other utterances that are unusual or foreign sounding to you . Take a step of faith and utter them ; speak them forth . Acts 2:4 says , " They...began to speak with other tongues , as the Spirit gave them utterance . " You may now use this language ( which will grow as you grow and as you exercise the gift ) anytime you pray or just to edify yourself . Do not speak in tongues around people who do not understand . Tongues brought forth in a church setting should be interpreted or explained . Enjoy your new life in the Spirit ! " Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....but as for me and my house , we will serve the Lord . " Joshua 24:15 ( AMP ) As you begin your new walk with God , it is important that you receive sound spiritual teaching on a regular basis . The Word of God is the spirital food you need for a spiritual growth . In John 8:31-32 , Jesus said , " If you abide in My word...you are truly My disciples . And you will know the Truth , and the Truth will set you free " ( AMP ) . I exhort you to take hold of God's Word , and plant it deep your heart , and as you look into the Word , you will be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ ( 2 Cor. 3:18 ) . I love you and want you to have God's best . Send in your prayer request , and we will be happy to pray for you . With love , Joyce Your brother in Christ , ANDY~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
4:45 pm	The most important decision .. / Joyce Meyer - chapter 6 of 7 Chapter 6 / Now that I Have Accepted Christ as My Savior What Should I do ? GROW : Now that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior , you need to grow as a Christian . You have experienced the new birth , so you are a baby Christian . God's desire is that you grow up and become mature- a full grown believer who walks in God's way , knows the Word of God , and understands how to hear the voice of God . Learn the Word : This cannot happen unless you read and study the Word ( the Bible ) . Your spirit and soul ( the inner you ) need to be fed and nourished so they will get strong . They also need exercise . Just as your body needs food and exercise to stay strong and healthy , so your spirit and soul also need these . Ask God to lead you to a good church where you can begin to learn His Word . Start to read the Bible . Many modern translations are available today that make the Bible more easily understood than in the past . I like the Amplified Bible ; however , many other translations are available . Go to a Christian bookstore and select one . As you begin to read the Bible , ask the Holy Spirit ( God's Spirit ) to help you understand it . Exercise : The Word of God ( the Bible ) is the spiritual food you need . Spiritual exercise consists of things like praying , singing praise to God , confessing the Word , thinking about the goodness of God , thinking about the Word , giving and fellowshipping with other Christians . Pray : As you begin your new life with God , talk to Him . He is always with you . You will never be alone again . In His Word , He has said , " I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee " ( Heb. 13:5 ) . You do not have to struggle with things as you have in the past . Ask the Lord to help you with everything you do . He is your new Partner in life . The Holy Spirit is called " the Helper " in the Bible ( John 14:16 ). You may notice that I have been referring to the Father ( God ) , the Son ( Jesus ) , and the Holy Spirit . To make sure Iam not confusing you , let me remind you that you now serve one God , a triune God , the Trinity , and each of the three Persons of the Godhead has a special relationship to your everyday life . Pray to the Father in Jesus' name through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit , who is now living inside you , bringing you the presence and reality of the Father and Son . Water Baptism : You will need to be baptized as soon as possible . Do not put it off any longer than necessary . The Bible teaches that a person should be baptized after he or she accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior . Baptism means " to submerge in water. " Usually a spiritual leader assists you and prays over you as you go down into the water and brought back up . This signifies the burial of the old way of living and is an outward sign of you declaring you decision to live for God . Romans 6 teaches us that we are buried with Christ in the waters of baptism and raised to a new life when we come up out of the water . Again , water baptism is an outward sign that you have made a decision to follow Jesus . He is now your Lord . You are burying your old , sinful ways and making a commitment to learn new ways of living . The Bible says that through Jesus' death and resurrection , He opened up " a new and living way " ( Heb. 10:20 ). You must be committed to this new way and to these new principles , or the devil will cause you to backslide . First Peter 3:21 says that baptism is a figure of deliverance . It also says you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours in Jesus Christ . If you were baptized as a baby , which many people are as a religious formality , I suggest you go ahead and be baptized again . Now you understand it and can exercise your faith to believe what the Bible says about baptism . Formal acts such as baptism mean nothing if there is no real faith involved . Religious works are man's ideas of God's expectations - a formal system of man-made doctrines ( some according to God's Word and usually some not ) that gives rules and regulations we must follow in order to please God . This system does not impact life to the inner man , and it causes people to get into " works of the flesh , " trying to please God . People begin to follow church rules-things that are good in themselves , but if they have no meaning to the participants , they are lifeless . But now that you have a relationship with God through Jesus , you can be baptized , and it will mean something because faith is present . Learning God's Word , praying , and being baptized are all ways you declare your new faith in Jesus Christ . Your brother in Christ , ANDY ~ www.andycrouse.com (Comment on this)
Monday, December 15th, 2008
6:59 pm	The most important decision../ Joyce Meyer - chapter 5 of 7 Chapter Five A NEW CREATURE WITH A GREAT FUTURE The Bible teaches us that when we are born again by accepting Christ as our Savior , we become new creatures . Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us : Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ ( the Messiah ) he is a new creation ( a new creature altogether ) ; the old [ previous moral and spiritual condition ] has passed away . Behold , the fresh and new has come ! (AMP) It is exciting to realize that at the time of the new birth , old moral and spiritual condition completely passes away , and we have an opportunity for a new beginning . I like to say that we become new spiritual clay . The possibilities for us to have great live. We do of course need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and His plan for us . There is much to learn , but at least our past is buried through Jesus , and we are raised to a new life in Him : For we are God's [own] handiwork ( His workmanship ) , recreated in Christ Jesus , [ born anew ] the we may do those good works which God predestined ( planned beforehand ) for us [ taking paths which He prepared ahead of time ] , the we should walk in them [ living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live . ] ( Esph. 2:10 AMP ) As God's original creation , we were deceived and marred by the devil , but we are re-created in Christ Jesus . God's plan for us is to do good works , to be His representatives on the earth . He had this life planned all along and refused to let Satan destroy us . God gives us a new heart and a new attitude so we can do good works out of our love for Him , not out of mere duty . He wants us to live good lives , and He has prearranged this for us . All we need to do is walk in it by faith . I encourage you to believe that you can have a wonderful future . Your past is gone and cannot dictate what comes next - if you don't allow it to . Perhaps you did not have a good beginning in life , but beloved , you can have a great finish ! After we have accepted Christ , the very nature of God abides in us , and we begin to do things in a very different way . We learn to think and speak differently . Our goals , attitudes , motives , and actions begin to change . First John 3:9 says : No one born ( begotten ) of God [deliberately , knowingly , and habitually ] practices sin , for God's nature abides in him [ His principle of life , the divine sperm , remains permanently within him ] ; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born ( begotten ) of God . (AMP) This Scripture does not mean that we will never sin or make mistakes . It does mean that because we now have a new nature ( God's nature ) , we cannot habitually , purposely , knowingly continue to sin . We cannot do it because we no longer want to . Our nature has been changed . You might say we have had a heart transplant . God has taken hard , stony hearts out of us and given us hearts sensitive and responsive to His touch ( see Ezek . 11:19 AMP ) When we sin , we are convicted of our wrongdoing , and we want to change . We seek God's forgiveness and ask for His help in living a holy life . As I have noted , we still sin and make mistakes , and we will do so as long as we live , but we will also experience a desire to change and overcome the areas of weakness in our lives . As we study God's word , we are changed " from glory to glory " ( 2 Cor . 3:18 ) . God changes us - His Spirit teaches us the truth and leads us to walk in that truth ( see John 16:13 ) . On the day of our new birth , the Holy Spirit begins a good work in us , and He continues that good work right up until the day of Christ's return ( Phil 1:6 ) . We are becoming more like Jesus in our ways. When we accept Christ , the Lord instantly gives us new hearts and renewed spirits , but we work them out through our lifetimes . Take a look at Philippians 2 :12-13 : Work out ( cultivate , carry out to the goal , and fully complete ) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling ( self-distrust , with serious caution , tenderness of conscience , watchfulness against temptation , timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ ) . [ Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [ energizing and creating in you the power and desire ] , both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight . (AMP) Once again , we see from the Scriptures that God begins a good work in us , and we are to work with the Holy Spirit to complete it . We don't do it in our own strength ; we trust God , we lean on Him , and we believe that He is at work in us , helpling us to live for His good pleasure . If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior , I encourage you to believe that you are now a new creature . Get up everyday and do your best . When you make mistakes , admit them and ask God to forgive you . He is faithful to continuously cleanse you from all sin . In Philippians 3:12-14 , the apostle Paul said the he pressed torward that mark of perfection , but he also said that he had not arrived . He let go of the past and daily strained toward the future . I encourage you to let this be your new attitude . (Comment on this)