The prodigal son didn't end up among the pigs the day he left his father's house; he went through a gradual process of decline (see Luke 15:11-15). So it is with us. If the enemy presented the end with the first temptation, it would be easy to resist! But usually the departure from grace is so subtle that even leaders take the bait.
The warning signs are visible long before we fully embrace sin. One of the first is that we allow other people or things to take the place in our hearts that belongs only to God. Preferring any earthly thing over God is a clear sign that our hearts have wandered. Even the spiritually mature are in danger of allowing what is visible to usurp the place of the eternal, invisible God.
The result is that we become lukewarm in our pursuit of God. Complacency sets in. We compare ourselves to the standard of others rather than to the standard of the Word and justify what we know is compromise.
We begin to live "a form of godliness," being outwardly religious but having no power in our lives (see 2 Tim. 3:5). Self then takes the throne (see vv. 2-4). When trials come, we rely on ourselves instead of trusting God. We are no longer able to express the pure love God desires and are often judgmental and critical of others. Ultimately, like the prodigal son squandering his inheritance, we end up on the path to sin and spiritual death.
Do you see signs that your heart has wandered far from God?
If so, recognizing your condition and crying out for God's help is the first step back into His empowering grace. Even your failure can be a stepping stone to a higher place spiritually if you come to see that your flesh can't be trusted. Understanding your own weakness is a key to releasing God's power on your behalf.
The next step is to get right with God and others. Even if you have been wronged, you must forgive. This may seem difficult, but it is essential to maintaining communication with God-and it is worth the price. As one saint wrote: "When the soul seeks nothing in the universe but the smile of God and fears nothing but offending Him, it will gladly consent to pay any price to get perfectly right with Him."
Third, look to God and His Word as your standard rather than to those around you. Jesus said, '"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect'" (Matt 5:48, KJV). This is an impossible standard for us to attain on our own, but with God we can do all things (see Phil. 4:13).
Finally, learn to walk in the Spirit, keeping your mind on God and His kingdom by praying continually. In this manner the Holy Spirit will become a filter for your thoughts.
Daily pray Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (NIV). God will be faithful to answer this prayer and to keep your heart stayed on Him.
~~~Joy F. Strang~~~
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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Deren sent this to me through an email . i think its amazing! :)
THE STORY BELOW IS AMAZING. IT JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY. FROM EGYPT: A Muslim man in Egypt killed his wife and then buried her with their infant baby and 8-year old daughter. The girls were buried alive! He the reported to the police that an uncle killed the kids. 15 days later, another family member died. When they went to bury him, they found the 2 little girls under the sand - ALIVE ! The country is outraged over the incident, and the man will be executed. The older girl was asked how she had survived. "A man wearing shiny white clothes, with bleeding wounds in his hands, came every day to feed us. He woke up my mom so she could nurse my sister," she said. She was interviewed on Egyptian national TV, by a veiled Muslim woman news anchor. She said on public TV, "This was none other than Jesus, because nobody else does things like this!" Muslims believe Isa (Jesus) would do this, but the wounds mean He really was crucified, and it's clear also that He is alive! But, it's also clear that the child could not make up a story like this, and there is no way these children could have survived without a true miracle. Muslim leaders are going to have a hard time to figure out what to do with this, and the popularity of the Passion movie doesn't help! With Egypt at the center of the media and education in the Middle East, you can be sure this story will spread. Christ is still turning the world around towards Him! Please share this True File.
The Lord says, "I will bless the person who puts his trust in me." (Jeremiah17:7)
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Show me Your ways , O Lord
teach me Your paths;
guide me in Your truth and teach me ,
for You are my God and Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long...
All the ways of the Lord are loving
and faithful for those who keep
the demands of His covenent
Psalm 25
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taken at fish and co on my birthday ^^ thanks peeps for everything!
Dg was great with irene yest at smu. indeed ive learnt alot about being a watchmen for my family and friends :) shopping was fun with irene and christine too.hahas. shopped till i want to faint.hahas. i went to tread my eyebrow at little india! nice but a bit pain. :P
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Monday, June 19, 2006
In the midst of distress. My Father in heaven spoke dearly to me . :)
The Strength of Brokenness TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman
The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. - 1 Samuel 2:4 There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be? How can brokenness be strength? In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength that is not human in origin. It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness. Paul was broken on the Damascus road. Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner. Jacob was broken at Peniel. David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba. The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom. When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength. Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before. Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
Learning To Stand TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman
..."Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...." - Exodus 14:13The Israelites had just left 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They had fled to the desert, but they had come to a dead end at the Red Sea. Word reached them that Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was sending his troops to recapture the Israelites. They cried out to their leader Moses, complaining that he had brought them that far only to die in the desert.
Learning when to move and when to stand is the greatest challenge for a workplace believer. We are trained for action. We are not trained to sit idly and wait. We are trained to solve problems, not wait for them to resolve themselves. However, God says there are times to wait. We are to wait until He says go. If we go before He says go, we likely will make our situation worse. If the Israelites had attempted to cross the Red Sea before it parted, they would have drowned. If they had fled north to try to avoid the Egyptians, God would not have moved in a miraculous way. God cannot work on our behalf if we continually try to solve our problem when He has instructed us to stand still. Standing still is sometimes the greatest action we can do, although it is the most difficult thing to do in the Christian walk.
Stand still when He says stand and see the deliverance of the Lord.
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im back frm C-rusade I-n A-ction Camp!
Father spoke and taughe me alot in this camp and im really thankful for that..and also not forgetting that ive made lots of new friends! ^^
Tp,RP,NYP campers! :)
Amazed at God's glory and love for the lost. We had street -E on the last day of camp and 13 people came to receive Christ! 48 people listened to the gospel on that day! Praise God. :)
a girl from Christ Church secondary received Christ when i shared with her and the joy is overwhelming when im being used by God though im unworthy .
TRP crusaders! "everything's changed!"
Amen!
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Thursday, June 01, 2006
This article caught my eye and spoke to me about obedience and submission. Hope it does speak to u all too! ^^
Biblical Femininity
>>Speed Limits and Submission
I remember blowing through a yellow light several years ago, and sensing that God wanted to talk to me about that. The impression I had was that He wanted to address the way I ignored the boundaries and limitations in my life. These were His boundaries, boundaries that were supposed to define the pleasant places in my life (Ps. 16). A yellow light may seem like a hindrance, but it was actually for my good because it was for my safety. I needed to submit and brake, instead of accelerate in impatience.
That was the beginning of a long journey with Him on this topic. We're still walking this one out, too. My self-sufficiency and independence are deeply rooted, but as I've made baby steps of progress on this topic I have seen how much peace can come through obedience.
Well, Bunny Wilson also thinks that single women can be some of the fastest drivers out there, and she says our driving can actually reveal whether we are ready for marriage. All this week, Bunny has been a guest on the Revive Our Hearts radio show with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, talking about the biblical view of submission. Here's an excerpt that ought to pique your interest. It's from the program titled, "Check Your Speed Limit."
This can be a touchy topic for women, but the biblical definition of submission is not anything weak or second-rate. It requires great strength of character because it requires mastery over a willful, self-centered heart!
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SUNKISSED*ME
NAme:ChinNy CHin CHin
School:Republic Poly year 3!
Affliations: Yishun Christian Church(anglican) and RP CrusadE!
LOves: GOD and my bros and sis in Christ!
Hometown:woodlands!!
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