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    • Pure Promises from God

      Posted at 7:35 am by sneuhofer, on November 21, 2017

      Psalm 12:6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

      As I read over this verse, I couldn’t help but think of how thankful I am to know that the One I can count on when everything seems to go south will always keep His promises. He will never lie to me or try to deceive me. He can’t, it’s not in his nature. His words and promises are pure like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times over. That just blows my mind. When I started to think about the word “pure” it made me think about its actual definition. What does the word “pure” actually mean? I went to the dictionary and looked it up, Mom would be so proud.

      Pure, a. Free from moral defilement; without spot; not sullied or tarnished; incorrupt; undebased by moral turpitude; holy.

      There, at the end of the definition – did you see it? The word holy. Our God is a holy God. What does holy mean? Again I flipped through the dictionary.

      Holy, a. Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions.

      Did you notice how many times the form of the word pure was used in the definition of the word holy? It was used 3 times. That tells me that if God’s promises are pure and God is holy then I can trust and rely on Him with every circumstance in my life. He is not going to try to trip me up for His benefit for gain. He is going to seek what is right for me, for my best interest… even if I don’t understand why He does the things he does.

      The God who spoke the entire universe into existence loves me and wants what’s best for me. The Bible proves that time and time again as we read of God’s mercy and grace. If you’re struggling withe something today and you don’t know if you can even trust God to get you through it, I encourage you to spend some time reading through the book of Psalms, Proverbs, or one of the 4 gospels. In these books you will find encouragement to press on, wisdom and knowledge, and the reason God sent Jesus to walk among us.

      God is pure and holy…  you can trust Him….  you can REALLY trust Him with all the details of your life.

      Need direction?
      Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  (Psalm 119:105)

      Feel like your in a pit of depression?
      “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (2 Samuel 22:29)

      Need His strength to get you through the toughest trial of your life? 
      “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

      Are you anxious about what the future holds? 
      “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me.” (John 14:1)

      Not sure God can forgive you? 
      “If we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

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      Posted in God's promises, pure, trusting God | 0 Comments
    • Lack of discipline leads to an out-of-control life

      Posted at 8:30 am by sneuhofer, on November 20, 2017

      Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.”

      As I read this verse I couldn’t help but wonder if God gave us children as an illustration of our relationship with Him – especially when it comes to discipline. We love our children and we want what’s best for them. We, as parents, know the harsh realities our children will have to face in this world so we work hard to discipline them in love, encourage them in all they do, and comfort them when they fall. Without this loving discipline, we know our children would be uncontrollable and ill-prepared to face the challenges awaiting them beyond the front door of our safe and comfortable homes.

      Even if you’re not a parent, just envision the picture in your head. Think about it in terms of your own life. You are the child and God is the loving Father. Without his discipline our lives spin completely out of control. Even though we may not see it….a path that doesn’t honor God will bring pain and suffering.

      Why?

      Because His word (the Bible) confirms it. As Christians we must “enter through the narrow gate. In Matthew, Jesus tells us “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life (Matthew 7:13 – 14).”

      In Luke’s gospel, chapter 11 verse 28 he says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” At first, disciplining children takes a lot of hard work, consistency, and patience. The same is true for us. Our spiritual journey is not a sprint. It’s a life long journey with our heavenly Father. As we grow through the stages of our Christian life, take a minute to look back at how far you’ve come. How has your life changed since you said yes to Jesus and NO to this world?

      Related reading: 1 John 5:2 – 4; 1 John 2:3 – 6; Isaiah 48: 17 – 19; Isaiah 38:17

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      Posted in Discipline | 1 Comment
    • I want more!!!

      Posted at 10:00 am by sneuhofer, on November 8, 2017

      Psalm 4:6-7 (MSG) Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.” I have God’s more-than-enough, More joy in one ordinary day.

      In the movie “Pretty Woman”, Richard Gere’s character (Edward Lewis) is a very successful business man. From the beginning of the film, movie watchers can tell Lewis has a boat-load of money and can basically have anything he wants. Perhaps driven by the desire to get back at his father for leaving him and his mother penniless, Lewis purchased his father’s company and sold it off piece by piece. There is a line near the end of the movie about wanting more. Lewis has an exchange with the women he hired to be his “social side-kick” for a week. Throughout the movie their relationship grows from employer-employee to something more. Here is the exchange:

      Vivian: I want more.
      Lewis: I know about wanting more. I invented the concept.

      This quote from this movie is spot on…we are all hungry for more. Just admit it…haven’t there been times in your life where you’ve wanted more of something? I know I have. For example, I always wanted more responsibilities so that my salary level would go up at work. I’d work so hard to prove myself by sacrificing time with my family to work on special projects after hours or on weekends. Honestly, I never (EVER) got an increase in pay. For whatever reason, I was always passed over. Thinking I needed to prove myself even more, I’d work harder, stay longer and later. Where did that get me? Nowhere! I think about it now and I know the increase in pay wouldn’t have been enough…I would just want even more and would have continued to drive myself into “more” of a frenzy.

      We all have a huge void in our life. We desperately try to fill it with something…anything that will take the emptiness away. We run to alcohol, drugs, sex, relationships, food, friends, activities, jobs, etc. to try and fill hole. But it’s never enough…is it? We are left with “wanting more.”

      The truth is we will never fill that void until we realize that the only “more” we need is Jesus. Only He can satisfy our “more” craving.

      No person, job, drug, activity or meal will ever be able to give us what Jesus gives. Psalm 4:6-7 is clear…God is more than enough. I am reminded of a song sung by Chris Tomlin titled Enough. I will leave you with the lyrics. As you read through them, take an honest look at your life. Are you trying to fill a void with something other than Jesus? Trust me, He is and will always be ENOUGH!

      Enough
      (Chris Tomlin)
      All of You is more than enough for all of me
      For every thirst and every need
      You satisfy me with Your love
      And all I have in You is more than enoughYou are my supply
      My breath of life
      And still more awesome than I know
      You are my reward
      worth living for
      And still more awesome than I knowAll of You is more than enough for all of me
      For every thirst and every need
      You satisfy me with Your love
      And all I have in You is more than enough

      Your’e my sacrifice
      Of greatest price
      And still more awesome than I know
      You’re the coming King
      You are everything
      And still more awesome than I know

      More than all I want
      More than all I need
      You are more than enough for me
      More than all I know
      More than all I can say
      You are more than enough for me

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      Posted in God is enough, Jesus is all we need | 0 Comments
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