IF You Are A True Christian

                                                        When The Door Slams

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.                                                                                                                                                                    Isaiah 11:2

        Throughout His ministry, Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit to direct Him as He made crucial decisions and faced relentless opposition (Mark 1:12). Centuries earlier, Isaiah had described what the Spirit's presence would mean for the Savior. The Spirit would give Jesus the knowledge of the will and ways of the Father. 

        As a young boy, Jesus already possessed unusual knowledge of God's Word (Luke 2:47). The Spirit granted Him the wisdom to use this knowledge. The Spirit enabled Jesus to take the Word of God and apply it effectively to the specific needs of those He encountered. 

       A key word: If you are a (true) Christian, the same Spirit abides in you. At times, you may pray and ask God to send His Spirit "in power." That is the only way the Spirit ever comes! More importantly, the Spirit will come in wisdom, bringing the understanding of God's ways   and understanding of the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.

        Think about this: You need God's wisdom for the decisions you face (Rom. 11:33). Perhaps God has placed you in a decisions of great responsibility, and you feel overwhelmed by the decisions you must make. It may be in your role as parent, or friend, or leader that you long for the wisdom of God. The same Spirit who enabled Jesus to see through the deceptions of Satan will also guide you through the temptations that confront you. Pray that God will fill you with His Spirit of wisdom so that through the decisions you make you can live your life effectively. 

In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Since You are my rock and my fortress, For Your name's sake lead me and guide me. Into Your hands I commit my spirit; Redeem me, O LORD, God of truth (Psalm 31:,3,5). 

The LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice And protecting the way of His saints (Proverbs 2:6-8).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                             

   

Closed-Minded And Representatives

                                                      When The Door Slams

These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who are in error. They promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity-for "people are slaves to whatever has mastered them."                          2 Peter 2:17-19

        The belief system of the religious group share much in common with government representatives, (sect). Frist and foremost, the belief systems of the religious group and representatives are characterized by closed-minded. They are not interested in a rational cognitive evaluation of the facts. The organizational structure interprets the facts to the cultist, generally invoking the Bible and/or its respective founder as the ultimate source of its pronouncements. 

        Such belief systems are in isolation; they never shift to logical consistency. They exist in what we might describe as separate compartments in the cultist's mind, and are almost incapable of penetration or disruption if the individual cultist is completely committed to the authority of his or her organization. 

        Secondly, closed-minded belief systems are characterized by genuine antagonism on a personal level since the cultist almost always identifies his or her dislike of the Christian message with the messenger who holds opposing beliefs.

        The identification of opposing beliefs with the individual in the framework of antagonism leads the cultist almost always to reject the individual as well as the belief, a problem closely linked with closed-minded and one that is extremely difficult to deal with in general dialogue with cultists.

        Thirdly, almost without exception, all closed-mindedness belief systems manifest a type of institutional dogmatism and a pronounced intolerance for any position but their own.  

        Think about this: Today, there are Satan worshipers in the home, school and workplace who call themselves the Church of Satan, religious group who mix Bible teaching with gnosticism and numerology, New Agers who worship many gods and goddesses, evil-minded and this is just the tip of the beginning. It's sad that people are try to bring these thing into the Church, but people straying from sound doctrine will grow worse and worse as the end of the age approaches.  

I look to You for my daily bread, to forgive me my debts as I also have forgiven my debtors, and to lead me not into temptation, but to deliver me from the evil one. For Your is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Aman (Matthew 6:11-13)  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.              

                                                                   Never Rest Ministries

Darkness And Light Cannot Coexist

                                                     When The Door Slams

You must purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:21b

        It is a dangerous and costly mistake not to take temptation seriously. The sad testimony of many who have succumbed to sin's enticements is that they thought they were strong enough to remain in the midst of temptation and resist it, temptation become sin in a mindless Christian.  God requires that His people remove evil from their midst (Deut. 21:21). 

        One way to do this is to remove anything in your environment that may tempt you to sin. When wickedness surround you, you are in danger of becoming arouse to it destructive potential. Never assume that you are immune to temptation. Do not underestimate the craftiness of the evil one. 

        God does not tolerate evil, for evil cost the death of His Son. Sin causes untold pain and destruction to everyone it touches. Treating evil lightly shows that you are foolish and disregard for God's redemptive work. An honest evaluation of your life will reveal temptations that you should remove, such as Adultery, Lying, some forms of entertainment or ungodly relationships of the Cults and mindless thinking . When The Holy Spirit convicts you of evil in your midst, remove it immediately! 

        Threshold thinking, there are times, however, when you are powerless to remove ungodly influences, so you must remove yourself from the temptation. Paul urges us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). When Joseph was enticed to commit adultery by his master's wife, he fled immediately (Gen. 39:12).

        Think about this: Do not lose your hate of sin. Be diligent to keep any form of temptation out of your home, out of your relationships, out of your mind. You can do this only by maintaining your love and obedience to the Son of the Living God. The LORD Jesus recognizing that you are powerless to resist temptation in your own strength. You will not be able to walk closely with the LORD Jesus unless you see sin as the LORD sees it. Darkness and light cannot coexist. Run from the darkness to the light!

May I be strong and courageous; may I not be afraid or discouraged because of my adversaries, for there is a greater power with me than with them, for the LORD my God is with me to help me (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD  and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                               

       

There Are Levels Of Intimacy With God

                                                        When The Door Slams

Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not set his mind on what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. Psalm 24:3-4 

        God has rigid requirements for those who want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. There is no easy access to God for those with unclean hands or an impure heart. It is an dishonor to holy God to assume that we can indulge in our sin and offensively disobey His Word, then shamelessly try to enter the Holy of Holies.

        In the Old Testament times, one's hands represented one's activities. Clean hands symbolized pure activities. Priests washed their hands before serving in the temple to symbolize that only those who were cleansed could worship holy God.

        There are levels of intimacy with God. The moment you become a Christian you begin a relationship with The Lord. However, if you persist in your sin, sin will separate you from God and keep you from enjoying close fellowship with Him, thru the power of the Holy Spirit. If you follow only God's basic commandments but resist every time God gives you specific, personal directions, you will never fully experience the depths of God's Person. 

        If, however, you are like the psalmist and understand the holiness of God, you will adjust your life to His standards and respond to Him immediate so that you may have a deeper fellowship with God. 

        Think about this: The closer you get to holy God, the more obvious even your smallest sins become. The more you know of God's character, the more you will realize the need to wash your hands and purify your heart before you can get close to God. Are you willing for Almighty God to make you absolutely pure before Him so that you can enjoy the maximum possible relationship with Him?

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12                    

The Absence Of Spiritual Power

                                                      When The Door Slams 

Then she let him fall asleep on her lap and called a man to shave off the seven braids on his head. In this way, she made him helpless, and his strength left him. Then she cried, "Samson, the Philistines are here! When he awoke from his sleep, he said, "I will escape as I did before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.                                                                                                     Judges 16:19-20   

        One of the signs of a heart that has shifted from God is the absence of spiritual power. If you are like Samson, you will not be immediately aware that God's power has left you. Only after he tried to defeat his enemies did Samson recognize that something was wrong. He went against the Philistines as before, expecting their swift defeat. But this time the Philistines easy prevailed over him. 

        If you allow sin to creep into your life, if you refuse to obey Your Lord, if you do not reconcile with those who have hurt you, your spiritual vitality is fading away. You may assume everything is fine, but when you pray, answers do not come as they once did. You once had a positive effect on those around you, but now your influence is negligible or even harmful. 

        Your life once brought reconciliation, but now you experience problems in your relationships. Those around you who have relied upon your strength are discovering that you are not as helpful to them as you once were. Your lack of spiritual power is not crying out for attention; but you are seeing deceptive changes in your spirit and in your relationship with God.

        Think about this: How can you stop this spiritual decline? You must regularly repent of any sin. You must invite God to search your heart and life to see if there are attitudes, relationships, or activities that need to be removed. You must fervently obey and trust the Lord will. If you walk with the Lord God in this manner, you will grow spiritual strength and be used mightily by Him. 

You are to tear Yahweh your God and worship Him. Remain faithful to Him and take oaths in His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome works your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt, 70 people in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky. Deuteronomy 10:20-22) 

You are the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps His covenant of lovingkindness. Nehemiah 9:32)

From within, out of the hearts of men proceed evil thoughts, sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evil things come from within and defile a man. Mark 7:21-23)

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                      

                 

When The Door Slams

                                                      Think About This 

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress;                                       have mercy on me and hear my prayer.                 Psalm 4:1                                   

You are the living God, And there is no god besides You. You put to death and You bring to life, You have wounded and You will heal, And no one can deliver from Your hand.                                                      (Deuteronomy 32:39) 

I will recall to mind the former things, those of long ago; You are God, and there is no other; You are God, and there is none like You. (Isaiah 46:9)

                                                        Confession                                                                                    When I sin against the Lord, I may be sure that my sin will find me out. (Numbers 32:23) 

                                                        Renewal                                                                                      May I not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I may prove that the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) 

May the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give me a spirit of wisdom of revelation in the full knowledge of Him, and may the eyes of my heart be enlightened, in order that I may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Ephesians 1:17-19)

                                                        Petition                                                                                Whatever I do, may I do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) 

                                                        Intercession                                                                               We should offer petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving on behalf of all men, for kings and all those who are in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and reverence. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (Timothy 2:1-4)

                                                        Affirmation                                                                           There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

                                                        Thanksgiving                                                                               I do not lose heart; even though my outward man is perishing, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For this light affliction which is momentary is working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while I do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

        Think about this: The Lord reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness, And He will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord will also be a refuge for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, For You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You. (Psalm 9:7-10)

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.            

                                     

                                                        Never Rest Ministries 

      

     

 

Are You Set Apart By God

                                                     When The Door Slams 

Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;                                                             the LORD hears when I call to him.                               Psalm 4:3

        No one is more precious in the Lord's sight than a godly person. God is pleased whenever He finds someone who strives to live a righteous life and bring glory to Him. God sets such people apart in a special place in His heart. They are always kept before Him, and He stands ready to respond to their faintest cries for help.

        Sin separates us from God, causing Him to close His ears to our praying. It is futile for us to pray when we are knowingly practicing sin. But the opposite is also true. God Chooses to honor us by listening to our every cry when we are living a godly life. An abiding security comes with living a blameless life. The righteous person never has to wonder whether God has listened to his prayer (1 John 5:14-15). The godly person has confidence that God has indeed heard her prayer and will immediately respond in all of His power.

        Think about this: It is exhilarating to be set apart by God, knowing that God observes your consecrated life and is pleased with what He sees. What a tremendous privilege to know that your life holds a special place in God's heart! The world may not accord any special status to you, but you will know that you are cherished by God. The world continues to find new ways to honor people, but even the world's most extravagant accolades are pitiful compared to the unfathomable blessing of holding a special place in the heart of God!  

Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we face death all bay long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Yet in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me (Romans 8: 35-37). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                                            Never Rest Ministries