I'm starting this post with a prayer. Not to say I don't typically start out that way, because I do, but this one I'm writing out. Mainly because this isn't a post I want to write. I'm being led to and that always hurts!!
Heavenly Father God, please use the Holy Spirit to guide my words. You are so good and I know I can trust that when I genuinely make that request, you will answer. Let not my words, but yours come out of these fingers. Lord, I pray for the person who needs to see this message. Lord, help their heart be open to change and let their walk model Yours. Help them set down any gift that isn't from You. In Jesus' name I pray these things.
Going on two years ago now, something that I didn't think was good was referenced to as a gift from God...I had no rebuttal or defense at the time, nor have I had one until yesterday, when out of the blue, it seemed an answer appeared that needed to be shared. A gift FROM God will never ask you to walk AWAY from God. A gift from God will help your walk and take you closer to Him. So if what you perceive to be a "gift" in your life is making you step away from biblical principals, break commandments, or in general, hurt others (or yourself - financially or otherwise) - it's not really a gift. And even if you view it as such, it's not from God. A house divided cannot stand.
The world is intense right now - and one could argue, has always been. There is nothing new under the sun after all! But we live in 2018 and therefore the "intensity" seems bigger. There is simply more stuff (and bigger stuff) and we have easy access to most of it. And that easy access doesn't always align with God's will for your life. We are presented with a lot of thing we want to view as "gifts," that really aren't!
If you are presented with an opportunity that you think is from God, run it through your checklist. Does it align with what Scripture says? Have you prayed about it (and gotten an answer; if you're NOT praying in the Spirit you're not always going to get one and that may be a warning!!)? Have you talked to people you have asked to guide you spiritually? If you have done those things and they all point to - yes, this is the best thing ever! - grab it. Praise the Lord for that gift! Use it and love it/them! God wants to bless you, He really does!
BUT. If you look at the Bible, and pray and seek counsel and those things point in the opposite direction of "gift" - then, please, run. Don't look at it any more. Don't touch it. Don't buy it. Run. The "gift" is not going to want to be put down. It wants you to want IT just as much you want it to be yours...that's why it's tempting. It wants you to believe that there is no such thing as "it's too good to be true." And "it" can be anything. A person. A house. A car. A job. A loan you could qualify for but will put you in more debt than is healthy. A pet. A new opportunity. Heck, even a cell phone! :) Once you find out it's not really a gift from God, you can't let yourself look at it anymore. Set it down if your hands are on it and get the heck out of that store. And don't look back. Don't be like Lot's wife - start looking forward at Jesus and keep your eyes fixed there.
There are a lot of smoke and mirrors in 2018. Sometimes it's hard to see through them to the Truth. And the Truth is that Jesus Christ came to this earth and died so that YOU can have eternal life. So that you can be gifted by the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness and self control. So that by believing you can be called a Child of God. So that you know that because God IS love, you CAN love. Those are all gifts you can take to the bank. Those are gifts you can pick up and hold in your heart...and give away. Those gifts are not too good to be true. Those gifts are Truth, itself.
Heavenly Father God, please use the Holy Spirit to guide my words. You are so good and I know I can trust that when I genuinely make that request, you will answer. Let not my words, but yours come out of these fingers. Lord, I pray for the person who needs to see this message. Lord, help their heart be open to change and let their walk model Yours. Help them set down any gift that isn't from You. In Jesus' name I pray these things.
Going on two years ago now, something that I didn't think was good was referenced to as a gift from God...I had no rebuttal or defense at the time, nor have I had one until yesterday, when out of the blue, it seemed an answer appeared that needed to be shared. A gift FROM God will never ask you to walk AWAY from God. A gift from God will help your walk and take you closer to Him. So if what you perceive to be a "gift" in your life is making you step away from biblical principals, break commandments, or in general, hurt others (or yourself - financially or otherwise) - it's not really a gift. And even if you view it as such, it's not from God. A house divided cannot stand.
The world is intense right now - and one could argue, has always been. There is nothing new under the sun after all! But we live in 2018 and therefore the "intensity" seems bigger. There is simply more stuff (and bigger stuff) and we have easy access to most of it. And that easy access doesn't always align with God's will for your life. We are presented with a lot of thing we want to view as "gifts," that really aren't!
If you are presented with an opportunity that you think is from God, run it through your checklist. Does it align with what Scripture says? Have you prayed about it (and gotten an answer; if you're NOT praying in the Spirit you're not always going to get one and that may be a warning!!)? Have you talked to people you have asked to guide you spiritually? If you have done those things and they all point to - yes, this is the best thing ever! - grab it. Praise the Lord for that gift! Use it and love it/them! God wants to bless you, He really does!
BUT. If you look at the Bible, and pray and seek counsel and those things point in the opposite direction of "gift" - then, please, run. Don't look at it any more. Don't touch it. Don't buy it. Run. The "gift" is not going to want to be put down. It wants you to want IT just as much you want it to be yours...that's why it's tempting. It wants you to believe that there is no such thing as "it's too good to be true." And "it" can be anything. A person. A house. A car. A job. A loan you could qualify for but will put you in more debt than is healthy. A pet. A new opportunity. Heck, even a cell phone! :) Once you find out it's not really a gift from God, you can't let yourself look at it anymore. Set it down if your hands are on it and get the heck out of that store. And don't look back. Don't be like Lot's wife - start looking forward at Jesus and keep your eyes fixed there.
There are a lot of smoke and mirrors in 2018. Sometimes it's hard to see through them to the Truth. And the Truth is that Jesus Christ came to this earth and died so that YOU can have eternal life. So that you can be gifted by the Holy Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness and self control. So that by believing you can be called a Child of God. So that you know that because God IS love, you CAN love. Those are all gifts you can take to the bank. Those are gifts you can pick up and hold in your heart...and give away. Those gifts are not too good to be true. Those gifts are Truth, itself.
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