Welcoming The New Year

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As 2012 is drawing quickly to a close, my flesh wants desperately to do what it has done for countless years.  It desires to make plans and promises regarding how I will live in the coming new year.  For as long as I have been old enough to understand what a resolution is, I have made them.  Some were utterly ridiculous, while others have been truly important and desired out of my love for God.  But the truth of my resolutions has been just that:  they were MY resolutions.  You see, I have always been a planning,  goal-setting and goal-achieving sort of girl.  But if this past year has taught me one thing it would be that all my plans and goals and resolutions will come to nothing if they are not in line with God's plans for me.  This has been the principle that God has been driving home (sometimes painfully) in my heart in 2012.  This has been the year that He took all of the comfort of my plans and goals and turned them upside down.  And I know He has only had one purpose in mind:  to help me see clearly my self-sufficiency that keeps me from greater intimacy with Him.

As I turn my gaze from looking back at 2012, I see the coming year with eyes that cannot detect exactly what lies ahead.  I know I am not alone in this for none of us knows what our future holds.  But I am excited this year at my inability to "have a plan,"  because it is forcing me to live in greater trust and dependence on the only One who knows the plans He has for me.  He is asking me, "Will you surrender ALL to Me?"  I know my heart desires that, but will I be faithful to do it?

So instead of making well-meaning resolutions and promises this New Year to do this or not do that, I only seek to sit more at the feet of Jesus, simply listening to Him as He tells me all the plans He has for me, day to day, and even moment to moment.  It is in this simple act of surrender that I will truly find joy and peace and rest in 2013.  This is the "better part" that Mary discovered.  What a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders as I place the government of my life upon the shoulders of the One who was sent to carry it.

May you find this same joy and peace and rest in 2013!

With love and gratitude for you all!
Cheryl

Jesus, Light of the World (12-14-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Ephesians 5: 3-10

The greatest detriment to 'good works' is a life that doesn't reflect the Light of Jesus Christ.  The lost world recoils from us when our actions are different than our words.  Christians who are living a life of sin will likely never have their good works received by unbelievers.  In their eyes we are nothing more than hypocrites if they see that we are not doing what say.  How can we avoid blowing our witness before those who are walking in darkness?  Our Scripture reading today will hit us right between the eyes with on possible answer to this question.

We are called to deal with our weaknesses and sins through a daily time of fellowship with the Lord.  It is in our time of studying the Word and praying to God that we can recognize those things that still need to change in our hearts (inner thoughts) and lives (actions).  Consistently leaving God out of the equation by trying to 'will' ourselves into better behavior will only end in failure.  Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?  Have you ever kept one?  Our fleshly 'willpower' is faulty.  It will never lead us to eternal victories over the daily sins we commit.  Only the Spirit of God in us can do that, but He must be released to work in us by our surrender and submission to Him.  We must stop trying to clean up our lives in our own strength if we desire to bear the fruit of good works that leads others to salvation.  God says that when we claim to make broad-sweeping changes in our lives, they are nothing but empty words, they reveal that we are 'sons of disobedience,' and therefore we are walking in darkness.  Is it any wonder then that we are unable to reach those in darkness themselves.  They can see our darkness just as easily as we can see theirs.  The world looks for the Light, but they can't see it because we are still living so much of the time in the darkness of our own sin because we have never surrendered it to God.

Look closely at verses 7-10 again.  God is clearly telling us that if we want to change our sinful habits, then we will have to stop walking like those who are in darkness.  God does not desire our empty words.  He knows that we formerly, when we were still lost, tried to make all kinds of changes through our own power and strength.  But now that we are the light, He wants us to walk like children of the Light.  The way that we do that, in part, is to begin to discover what it is that truly pleases the Lord.  And just how do we do that?  By reading the only Book that will reveal His heart to us!  When we read and pray about what He discloses to us, then He will begin to make the changes necessary in us by His Spirit.  There is no magic fairy dust that can be sprinkled on us that will simply change us because God wants us transformed.  He requires our surrender first, then our obedience to all He says.  That is the recipe for His Light to shine out of us. 

When we become involved with God at that level, the fruit of out relationship with Him will become evident to all.  In verse 9 God clearly states what the 'fruit of the light' is.  It is all goodness, all righteousness, and all truth.  When we walk in God's light by our deep fellowship with Him, the fruit of good works will quite naturally spring up in us and out of us.  You won't have to look for ways to share your faith.  You won't have to muster up the courage to share.  It will simply be the by-product of your loving, intimate, relationship with THE Light!  His light will be reflected  in your good works that He has called you to.  Then those in the darkness who witness your good works will see a reflection of Jesus, the Light of the world.  Then, given a chance,  the Holy Spirit will move in their lives. And with the Spirit, there is always an opportunity for them to meet Jesus personally!  And isn't that the point?  Jesus the Light desires and calls us to be the light to the world for the sole purpose of pointing others to the Light!  That is preaching the gospel!

What will the world, those still lost in darkness of their sin, see in you this Christmas season?  Will they see that you are just as greedy, impatient, irritated, short-fused, grouchy, and self-centered as they are?  Or will they see something different, a light coming out of you that is loving and compassionate, a light surely not of this world?

Pausing To Contemplate

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Spiritual Healing:  The Surrender That Brings Victory, Chapter 9)

At the end of each chapter of my book, there are 5 questions to answer, each one designed to help you look within, come up with the real answers, and hopefully move you closer to God as you contemplate your spiritual journey.  So, before we move on to quotes in this blog from Chapter 10, I want to give you this opportunity to pause and look within your heart.  This time of introspection will hopefully help you discover some truths about yourself that you might not have thought of otherwise.  Here are your 5  questions.   (Okay 8, in this case;  sometimes certain questions beg another!)


"PERSONAL INTROSPECTION

1. When you allow your flesh to have control and make the decisions in your life, who is truly the god of your life?
2. By what actions can God and all you come in contact with see that you are walking on the Highway to Holiness?  How do your answers line up with 2 Chronicles 7: 14 and Romans 12: 1-2?
3. How does surrender differ from making New Year's resolutions?  Who is in control when you surrender, and when you resolve to change?
4. What part of the Tabernacle symbolizes the crucifixion of our flesh, our greatest surrender?  How close are you to the Holy of Holies when you are surrendering your flesh?
5. In which areas of your heart is your surrender like a yo-yo -- you throw out the sin, but it seems to keep coming back?  Consider whether or not you have truly surrendered it."

What did your answers to the questions reveal to you?  By looking within you are able to process what you have been learning.  Never leave this step of your growth to chance.  Read the questions, ask yourself for the real answer, consider what your answers mean, and then determine what course corrections God might be asking you to make.  It is all a part of your spiritual healing.

Preparing For Battle

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Balak sought out Balaam to speak curses on Israel.  Balak wanted Israel to be defeated.  Isn't it interesting that he did not seek out his military general to draw up a battle plan to defeat this enormous enemy?  Though Balak was a pagan, he knew that he must defeat Israel spiritually.  How much more prepared would you be today if you would FIRST fight in the spiritual realm with the Sword and prayer?

What enemy do you want defeated in your life?  What sin has hung on far too long, and is now far too large for you to defeat on your own?  Have you been attempting to create your own "military" plan for defeating it?  There is only one way that you will ever defeat sin in your life.  You must be SPIRITUALLY healed!

Every believer keeps hidden in his heart many sins that have yet to be defeated.  If you are looking at yours today, they may appear to be enormous when you look at them all together.  Attempting to "never do/think/say that again" will avail about as much as any New Year's resolution!  Has that ever been successful for you?  Me, either! 

The sin issues of the heart must be attacked spiritually.  It will require your time and effort, but it will not be you, in the end who defeats them.  It will be the Spirit who dwells in your heart who will destroy them.  We have been deceived for a very long time that it is our strength that will over come them.  The enemy likes when we use this battle plan because he knows that we will lose. . . and he will win! 

Zechariah 4: 6 says, "'Not by (your) might nor by (your) power, but by MY SPIRIT,' says the Lord of Hosts."  Do you see that Almighty God is imploring us to STOP TRYING to change our sinful hearts?  His Spirit alone is in charge of that.

So how do you allow the Spirit to fight the spiritual battle raging in you?  Try this:  Let the Lord show you just one of your sins.  Write it on an index card and put it in your bible.  Now here is the part that you can do.  EVERY DAY read the word, with the purpose of knowing your God better.  Then take that card and prayerfully surrender this part of your heart to Him.  Ask the Spirit to now come and do His work in you.  Do this every day.  

This is not a "quick fix."  There is nothing powerful in the card or the plan.  The power is in the Word, in the Spirit, and in the relationship that you will develop with God Himself!  In a month, look inside again, and see if the Spirit has been working!   I think you will be surprised to see His spiritual healing at work in you!

Why not post your results at the bottom of this page!  Others might like to hear your testimony of God's "overcoming" battle plan  that has resulted in healing in your heart.  And don't forget to click "follow" at the top of the page!