"STRESS-FREE LIVING & SUPERNATURAL PROVISIONS"
In the "walk of faith", our primary responsibility is to act in obedience to whatever "He" says to do; but never to anxiously seek after provisions!
In Matthew 6: 19-34 (NLT), the Bible says, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
Therefore, in light of the absolute authority of Scripture - with the inherent power to fulfill itself, it is my biblical conviction that "Stress-Free Living & Supernatural Provisions" are the will of God for every Christian; but only those who've "entered into His rest" - will be able to see it or attain it, in this life!
In this world's system, you don't have to go looking for discouragement and fear for it to totally overtake you; if you're "hit and miss" in meditating on and deliberately studying the Word of God!
What develops through an abiding exchange with Christ, is a "true" worshipful service and devotion, which has no hidden ambitions, strings attached or self-serving intentions; as every door of opportunity sought out, reveals what is really in the heart - and whether its about Him or us!
The inherent struggle for most genuine follower's of Christ, is feeling the necessity to be "responsible" in their approach to seeing their needs met, while working not to presumptuously "expect" the required provisions to maintain their household to "manifest without stress". Sadly, many just believe that they must "work for it" by any means necessary! But, that is NOT the case at all!
"Work" is and will always be a definitive requirement of every believer! But, "only what He has ordered", not what we pursue out of fear, indifference to His ways, or due to some long-standing issue or our own unbelief; which often imprisons families from generation to generation!
Instead of taking God at His word concerning the commandment "to seek FIRST the kingdom of God..", there is a fear-based and performance-oriented approach - to seeing His provisions come by our ditch-dive efforts and desperate attempts; to meet our own needs and provide for our families in our own strength.
In Isaiah 50:10-11 (NLT), the Bible says, "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light,
trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment."
"IS THIS EVIL, Pastor?"..
Absolutely! Because, Jesus said, "if your eye is full of darkness, so is the whole body". "Singleness of eye" means that we will NOT lean upon the arm of the flesh, or put our trust in chariots, in horses, or in anyone else. This is what Jesus meant when He also said, "that no man can serve two masters. He will hate the one and love the other. He can't serve both God AND mammon"!
So, as we read above, Isaiah concludes with the eleventh verse that "great torment" will ultimately befall those who "live by their OWN light", and "warm themselves by their own fires"! This should concern us, if we know that fear or unbelief has got the best of us, and we've formed a disposition that we'd rather seek our own way, than to put our trust in God; "cause we're tired of waiting"!
Jesus made a "bold" reference to His disciples and followers about "eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood", in John 6:52-66; which was ultimately to establish the "only relief" from the futile pursuits of "law-keeping" and "performance-based praying" that every believer in Christ Jesus must seek to be redeemed from.
What He (Jesus Christ) places in the path of the obedient that choose to walk by faith and stay in His face daily, is stress-free, care-free, and burden-free living and opportunities that agrees with the "advanced knowledge" and "timely revelation" that flows during the abiding fellowship and worship between the Lord and us - as we consistently abide in The Vine!
So, "redeeming us from the curse" means the associated lack and poverty in the world will not named among us - if we obediently follow His direction, instructions and principles; which He's ensured that we will come to understand, as He leads us through our ongoing developmental process.
When we see people on the fringes of constantly "wanting and need" as God's redeemed children, we're probably encountering the evidence of some form of disobedience, ignorance or negligence; but never God's anger, indifference, or lack of concern for our needs!
If you're going to walk by faith and prosper in 2012 and beyond, get on your face, open your heart to His "living word", and resign yourself to trust - no matter "how" or "what" it looks like!
WS-3
Sent from Walter's IPAD
Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)
In Matthew 6: 19-34 (NLT), the Bible says, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."
Therefore, in light of the absolute authority of Scripture - with the inherent power to fulfill itself, it is my biblical conviction that "Stress-Free Living & Supernatural Provisions" are the will of God for every Christian; but only those who've "entered into His rest" - will be able to see it or attain it, in this life!
In this world's system, you don't have to go looking for discouragement and fear for it to totally overtake you; if you're "hit and miss" in meditating on and deliberately studying the Word of God!
What develops through an abiding exchange with Christ, is a "true" worshipful service and devotion, which has no hidden ambitions, strings attached or self-serving intentions; as every door of opportunity sought out, reveals what is really in the heart - and whether its about Him or us!
The inherent struggle for most genuine follower's of Christ, is feeling the necessity to be "responsible" in their approach to seeing their needs met, while working not to presumptuously "expect" the required provisions to maintain their household to "manifest without stress". Sadly, many just believe that they must "work for it" by any means necessary! But, that is NOT the case at all!
"Work" is and will always be a definitive requirement of every believer! But, "only what He has ordered", not what we pursue out of fear, indifference to His ways, or due to some long-standing issue or our own unbelief; which often imprisons families from generation to generation!
Instead of taking God at His word concerning the commandment "to seek FIRST the kingdom of God..", there is a fear-based and performance-oriented approach - to seeing His provisions come by our ditch-dive efforts and desperate attempts; to meet our own needs and provide for our families in our own strength.
In Isaiah 50:10-11 (NLT), the Bible says, "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light,
trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment."
"IS THIS EVIL, Pastor?"..
Absolutely! Because, Jesus said, "if your eye is full of darkness, so is the whole body". "Singleness of eye" means that we will NOT lean upon the arm of the flesh, or put our trust in chariots, in horses, or in anyone else. This is what Jesus meant when He also said, "that no man can serve two masters. He will hate the one and love the other. He can't serve both God AND mammon"!
So, as we read above, Isaiah concludes with the eleventh verse that "great torment" will ultimately befall those who "live by their OWN light", and "warm themselves by their own fires"! This should concern us, if we know that fear or unbelief has got the best of us, and we've formed a disposition that we'd rather seek our own way, than to put our trust in God; "cause we're tired of waiting"!
Jesus made a "bold" reference to His disciples and followers about "eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood", in John 6:52-66; which was ultimately to establish the "only relief" from the futile pursuits of "law-keeping" and "performance-based praying" that every believer in Christ Jesus must seek to be redeemed from.
What He (Jesus Christ) places in the path of the obedient that choose to walk by faith and stay in His face daily, is stress-free, care-free, and burden-free living and opportunities that agrees with the "advanced knowledge" and "timely revelation" that flows during the abiding fellowship and worship between the Lord and us - as we consistently abide in The Vine!
So, "redeeming us from the curse" means the associated lack and poverty in the world will not named among us - if we obediently follow His direction, instructions and principles; which He's ensured that we will come to understand, as He leads us through our ongoing developmental process.
When we see people on the fringes of constantly "wanting and need" as God's redeemed children, we're probably encountering the evidence of some form of disobedience, ignorance or negligence; but never God's anger, indifference, or lack of concern for our needs!
If you're going to walk by faith and prosper in 2012 and beyond, get on your face, open your heart to His "living word", and resign yourself to trust - no matter "how" or "what" it looks like!
WS-3
Sent from Walter's IPAD
Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)
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